The Wielder of BlackFire: The Legend Lives
by BlackDragonDiva
Summary: A new ally comes to the aid of Team Urimeshi as the Dark Tournment comes to an end with extraordinary healing powers. But there is much more to this girl than what meets the eye. Suddenly, ally turns to foe and the team's in for the fight of their lives!
1. The Death of Rose

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

****

Chapter One: The Death of Rose

A girl in a bright red shirt stepped off the plane, her dark green eyes scanning the crowd in front of her. Her black-brown hair swayed with her graceful movements as she stepped into the large room where she was to be picked up. All around her people were talking, mostly in Japanese, but some in English as well. She did not understand their conversations, but she was not paying close attention. Her gaze wandered around, looking for the family that was to take her in.

After a few moments, she saw them and strode forward with a polite smile on her face. A girl about fifteen, the same age as herself, stepped forward.

"Bara?" she asked. The girl she addressed smiled wider. 

"If you mean Rose, yes," she said in English. "Bara means that in Japanese doesn't it?"

"Yes," the other girl said, grinning.

"Then you must be Tsuki?" Rose asked. "It is nice to meet you and your family."

"Let me introduce you to them," Tsuki said excitedly. "This is my brother Yuji and my mother and father."

"*Oaidekite ureshiidesu*," Rose said with a small bow. (*nice to meet you*)

"+We should go+_,_" Tsuki's father said softly to his daughter. 

"Come Rose! We have school tomorrow and I have not shown you my house!" Tsuki said excitedly as she grabbed Rose's hand. With a laugh, the girl followed her.

~

"*Ohayo gozaimasu*, Tsuki, I see you have brought your friend from America with you today," a tall man said with a smile as he looked down on the two girls. (*good morning*)

"*Ohayo gozaimasu*, Mr. Moto-sama. Rose, this is Moto-sama, he teaches English here. Moto-sama, this is Rose from America, she arrived last night," Tsuki explained. (*good morning*)

"*Ohayo gozaimasu*, Moto-sama. Nice to meet you," Rose said with a small bow. (*good morning*)

"Do you not have a uniform?" Mr. Moto asked, looking at the girls garments that consisted of stone-washed, bell-bottom jeans and a dark green top that brought out the brightness in her eyes and hugged her lithe torso with the bold expression 'armed with attitude' written on its front. 

"None of mine fit her, sir, she is too small," Tsuki replied when Rose said nothing after a moment. 

"Hm, I see," Mr. Moto said. "We you should get to class before you're late." 

"*Argato gozaimasu*, Moto-sama," Tsuki said. (*Thank you*) 

~

"+Who's she?+"

"+It must be the American girl.+" 

"+Where's her uniform?+" (*Where's her uniform*)

Whispers flooded the hall as Tsuki and Rose passed by students as they spoke to eachother in small groups. Tsuki glared at some of them when their words were less than polite. 

"What are they saying?" Rose asked, looking straight ahead with a small smile on her lips. 

"Nothing."

"I know that it is more than nothing, but if I hear it again, I cannot guarentee that my actions will be as peaceful as my voice," she said placidly. Tsuki looked over to her American friend with an odd look on her face. Suddenly, Rose stopped dead. Tsuki had heard it too, but had hoped she had not.

"Don't do anything foolish, Rose," Tsuki warned Rose turned to face a group of boys, who were laughing hystarically. Rose's eyes were hard and piercing as she stared at one of the boys with dark hair that stood on the outskirts of the group. She advanced forward slowly.

"Rose....don't! He's far older than you!" Tsuki said in a whisper, looking around, searching for teachers who might witness what was sure to be a spectical. The American steadily advanced, until she was facing the boy. A smile glazed her lips, and her arms were crossed smugly, but her eyes bore onto the boy harshly.

The boy noticed that his friends had stopped laughing and looked up to see the one he had tormented from afar not so far from him. 

"+I heard that,+ Baka Kusotare," Rose said, her smile growing wider. (*I heard that stupid asshole) The boy looked around uneasily, before straightening and looking down into the dark green eyes of the girl in front of him. She stood only at his shoulders, and he straightened to make himself more intimidating, staring down on the girl. 

"+What are you going to do about it?+" he asked smugly, crossing his own arms.

"What did he say?" Rose asked Tsuki.

"He wants to know what you're going to do about it. Rose you really shouldn't.." Tsuki translated. But she didn't get to finish as Rose grabbed the boy's collar with one hand and shoved him against the lockers behind him with a bang. The hall fell silent. The boy groaned and sagged in her strong grasp.

"I do /_not/_ like being insulted," she said quietly, sweetness in her voice, her smile still on her face, but her eyes blazing with hot anger. "And I don't like my abilities questioned. You know, in America, boys learn to respect the girls, or else they end up on the ground."

"Nani?" the boy asked, his eyes dazed and his face twisted in pain as his hand went to hold his head. Tsuki translated for him hesitently. (*What*)

Rose smirked and shoved him to the ground, watching as he squirmed under her gaze. He started to mutter a curse but Rose put her hands on her hips and he decided against it, hiding it with a cough. She looked to the locker that she had slammed the boy into. 

"Hn, only a small dent, but still, too bad, I didn't want to mark it," she said, running her fingers along the metal surface. From the corner of her eye she saw a movement and a suited figure walking towards her as students scurried out of the way. Suddenly, she stepped away from the door and looked toward the boy. She offered her hand.

"I'm sorry I made you fall like that. Give me your hand and I'll help you up," she said with a sinister smile. The boy backed away on his hands and heels before getting up himself. Tsuki translated what Rose had said. 

"What's going on here?" the teacher asked in English, walking up behind the girl. Rose turned around and smiled.

"I accidently made this boy fall and I was helping him back up," she said as the boy rose to his feet and dusted off his uniform. 

"I see. +Get to class+, Yoshi," the teacher said, turning to the boy, who nodded and fled. 

"I'm sorry for causing a commotion, sir. Please forgive me, I must get to class," she said with a small bow and a smile, turning and leaving the teacher to tell the other students to get to class. 

"Why did you lie like that, Rose? Don't you think that Yoshi will tell a teacher what really happened?" Tsuki asked, watching the amazed faces of the surrounding students. Rose just kept smiling innocently as she walked down the hall.

"I know human emotions very well. They wont tell, or they too will get caught. I hardly ever fight a battle I do not know for sure I can win. And if I do, then I find a way were I can get out of the punishment." She chuckled. "People underestimate me far too often." 

*

The two girls went to their classes without mishap, even if they did recieve whispers in their wake and feirce glares behind their back. The school day passed and the girls walked back to Tsuki house.

"What you did today was really impressive, Rose. I wish I had enough courage to do something like that," Tsuki said as they walked down the street. 

"In America, you are taught to be bold and show your true feelings, or remain silent so you don't become the victim if the situation were to turn around," she explained. 

"B-b-o-ld?" Tsuki questioned, testing the new word on her tongue.

"Yeah, it means like, couragous, with courage," Rose said, gesturing with her hands to get the point across.

"Oh!"

"As you can tell, I am both of these. When I do not become angry, I am silent and don't say much, but when I do get angry, well, you saw what happened," she said with a small chuckle. 

"Yes, I see." 

"Tell me, Tsuki, are there many wolves around this area?" Rose asked after a pause. The other girl looked at her, but the girl's eyes were looking straight ahead, at something in the distance.

"Umm, no, not here in the city," she said. "Why?" 

"I was just wondering," Rose replied, quickening her pace. 

"Hey, wait up!" Tsuki said, rushing to keep up the with her. They walked in silence for a few moments, Rose's eyes straight ahead of her, following a white figure in the distance. They were steadily advancing upon its slinking form. 

"+Get a hold of that rope!+" 

"+Don't let go!+" came the shouts from a near-by construction site. They were working at the top of a tall building. Some people turned their heads at the shouts, but most ignored the commotion. 

"+Look out!+"

"+Its going down!+" 

"+Get out of the way!+"

"+Get the slack of that rope!+"

"+Try to stop it!+"

"+There's nothing we can do!+"

Desperate and horrified shouts came from the top of the building, making Tsuki look up to see what was happening. Rose saw the danger, and her eyes darted back down toward the white dog that was sniffing the ground beside the building. She shouted once, but her own cry was a whisper to the screams and shouts that came from the surroundings. She bolted forward, sprinting at a speed most would think impossible for the girl in her tall shoes. She pushed the white creature out from under the falling metal beam just as her shoes slipped under her feet. She fell on her stomach with an 'awwff'. 

The world seemed to fall silent, and she turned her head to see if time had indeed stopped. The large iron beam fell slowly, and she was powerless to move. Her eyes opened wider and her mouth fell agape. With realization, she closed her eyes and waited as the metal fell heavily on the back of her neck. There was a sickening crack as the beam hit the girl.

Tsuki stood and stared, unable to move as she watched the beam fall in the American girl. She gasped heavily and winced as she heard bone breaking against the brutal force of the iron. Finally, she found enough streangth in her legs to run forward, tears beginning to brim in her eyes. 

"No, no. This can't happen. I've known her for years and the first time we really meet... No, this can't happen!" she wailed, kneeling beside her friend. People began to swarm around the site, whispering and talking, some demanding others to call an ambulance. Tsuki threw down her school bag and tried desperately to move the beam. Without saying anything, two boys came and helped her lift the beam off Rose. 

"No, no. This can't be happening. No," she moaned, kneeling by Rose's head. "Rose, wake up. Please wake up. Your going to be okay. No, no. You have to wake up, Rose!" Tears streamed down her cheeks and she covered her face with her hands. After a few moments a couple of people came and picked the weeping girl up gently from the ground. 

Authoress Note: Well, not half bad for a first chapter. I finally figured out how to post chapters without word! Yay!

Yusuke: Hn, when do I come in?

J: -eye brow twitches- Quiet you! You're actually the third character that appears, so be grateful! 

Botan: Oh! Who's the first? ^_^

All: -_-

J: Who do you think? Geez, if your hair wasn't blue I could swear you were a blonde.

Botan: But my hair's blue! -flicks hair, which whips Kuwabara, who falls down, red marks forming on his face-

KWB: Hey! What was that for? I was just standing here!

All: -_-'

J: Sometimes I wonder…..-shakes head- never mind. Anyway! The fic! Good? Bad? Stupid? Well, I'd love to hear what you have to say in reviews!! -looks around room-

Setting: Hiei sits on window next to desk, Kurama leans against door, Kuwabara sits at foot of bed, rubbing red marks, Yusuke leans against wall sitting on the bed with his hands behind his head, trying to look innocent, Botan is giggling madly over something no one cares about, J sits in desk chair, typing.

J: Ya know, my room is really crowded. -everyone ignores-

Pilgrim: Meow

Kuwabara: Did I hear a kitten?

All: -_- damn. 

Kuwabara: You didn't tell me you had a kitten! -jumps up from floor, runs two steps to door, of which Kurama has quickly abandon as a leaning place, and opens the door-

Yusuke: Geez, I can't imagine why

Pilgrim: O.O Meow?

Kuwabara: Kitty! -begins to chase terrified cat around room until it hides under the bed- Aww! C'mon kitty! 

Yusuke: Geez Kuwabara, it looks like you scared it to death. Now you owe J a cat as well as a new radio.

Kuwabara: Hey! I didn't break it! It just….slipped.

Kurama: -sigh- I'll do the disclaimer so you don't have to suffer through anymore torment. J does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, only Rose, Thorn, and BlackFire.

Kuwabara: Kitty!!!! 

All: -_- more aseperine please, J! -hands out pills-

J: Please review!


	2. Meeting the Detectives and the Talking S...

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Two: Meeting the Detectives and the Talking Sword

"Hm. This is very odd," Rose said. She was looking down on Tsuki as she cried over a green-shirted girl. "What's going on? This is very confusing." She looked down with a baffled expression on her face. "Hey! That's...that's me!" she gasped, falling forward before righting herself in the air. "Whoa, this is strange. The last time I saw something like this was on that TV show. What was it called? Poltergeist report? Yeah that's it. What was when the boy died. Wait. That would mean. No way! I'm... I'm dead!" she squeaked. 

"Bingo!" came a bubbly voice. Rose turned to face the bright blue sky, from which came a blue-haired girl flying on, what looked like, a boat oar. 

'I remember that voice! From the show. Its Botan!' Rose thought, her eyes wide. 

"Hello! My name is Botan! I'm here to take you to Spirit World!" she said with a smile.

"This is too weird," Rose whispered to herself.

"It guess it can be a little weird. After all, its not everyday that you die!" Botan giggled. There was a small pause as Rose got her thoughts in order.

"So what now?" Rose asked.

"Well, its not everyday that people die for another. I mean, the way you acted this morning, no one would have thought that you would save that dog! You see, the dog wouldn't have died even if you hadn't of dodged in the way," Botan said. "And frankly, we have no room for you in the Spirit World because we didn't expect your death!"

"So what happens to me?"

"Oh, right, Lord Koenma said that you could return to life! This is very odd, I mean, you're the second one we've brought back to life in a year! Very rare. Oh! And that reminds me! We have to go see Koenma! Come on! Grab on and we'll get going!" And with that Rose hung onto the floating oar as the ferry flew high into the sky. The girl held on dumbly as they soared high into the sky. 

'This is too strange. Its just like that Anime, only, I'm playing the role of the boy. Oh what was his name? It started with a U I think, or maybe a Y. Now, what happened to him? That's right, he came back to life after getting that golden egg. That egg. Oh geez, I don't think I will pass that test if I got it. I'll have to think of a way out of that part. The boy threw it into a fire to save his friends and still got his life back because this Koenma said something about people caring about him, so if I just convince the toddler not to give me the test and just send me back to life then I'll be fine. Well, I guess I'll just have to play Miss Flirt is all. Hopefully it'll be enough. Not that its ever let me down before,' Rose thought to herself. She kept a close eye on her surroundings and Botan, making sure she didn't catch her serious face. She had been told too often that when she thought really hard, she got a dark expression on her face. Which was why she constantly smiled. 

"We're here!" Botan said cheerily, letting Rose get her footing before getting off her oar and making it disappear. Rose looked up the tall, red, double doors. Botan cupped her hands around her mouth and called up to some unknown person. 

"Its Botan! I've got another one!" There was a moment before the doors screeched open, revealing a long hall. 

'This place looks even bigger in person. Wow. When I get back to life, I am going to watch ever single episode of that Poltergeist Report ever made. I'm just glad I saw a couple of them. But I still hate that they took off my favorite show for it. Oh well. I'll just have to live with the information I have.' Rose sighed.

"Something wrong, Rose?" Botan asked as they walked down the hall. 

"No, nothing," the girl said with a smile. Her expression did not waver as they entered a large room full of colorful beasts as they yelled and went through paperwork. Finally, they came to another set of double doors.

'Okay, this is where Koenma is,' Rose thought as they opened the doors. Botan bowed, and she followed suit. A small boy jumped down from his comfortable-looking chair with a grin. Rose's fake smile widened.

"You must be Rose! I've been expecting you. Wow, its not often that Americans get called here, most of them go to the eastern half of the Spirit world. Well anyway, I am Koenma," the toddler said, looking up.

"Why, hello Koenma. Its nice to meet you," Rose said, her lips still smiling. Her hand fled to her mouth as she looked down on him. Koenma thought for sure that she was going to insult him on his appearance. After all, he looked to be only about three, and the blue binky in his mouth just made him look more childish. 

Rose caught her tongue, remembering that the prince hated being called small or a toddler. Instead, she put only compliments in her already sweet tone. "Your..so handsome!" she said, trying to cover up her hesitation. The boy looked up in disbelief. "Oh here I was thinking that you would be old and ugly! But you're young and handsome!"

"Why, thank you, Rose," he said with a blush and a grin. Rose giggled. The expression was genuine, she couldn't help but laugh at her own lie. But he was a cutie, she admitted to herself, for a child. A sudden thought struck her as the prince walked back to his desk. 

"Koemna, do you not have any police around your castle? I would think that with someone as important as you here there would be guards at every corner," she said slyly, walking up to his desk with wide, coaxing eyes that had gotten her out of more jams than she could ever hope to count, and a flirtatious smile. Koenma laughed.

"My detective and his group are out battling evil as we speak," he said with a large, obnoxious laugh. 

"Oh, it sounds dangerous. What are they doing? I bet they're kicking the other person's behind! Anyone you chose is sure to be a winner," she said with a grin. 

"Oh, well, actually, they just finished winning their battles with the Four Saint Beasts!" he said.

"Lord Koenma, I don't think she knows about them, or the demon world," Botan said, looking as if thinking. 

"Oh that's okay, I can use my imagination," Rose said. Suddenly, a blue ogre opened the doors and burst in excitedly.

"Koenma, sir, we got the sword!" he exclaimed.

"Good work Ogre! One less thing to worry about. Now, get back to work," Koenma said, dismissing him. Ogre sulked out of the room, grumbling. Apparently, Koenma was not as excited about the prospect as he had been. 

"Anyway, sir, I think we should explain the test now," Botan said, getting back on task.

"Oh, a test? Like to prove that I'm a good girl?" Rose asked, all too innocently. 

"Yes, exactly," Koenma said with a grin. 

"Does that mean you don't think I'm a nice person? Oh, I'm so horrible Koenma!" she said, letting her face fall into her arms on the toddler's desk, hiding her eyes until she could make tears. "I pushed that boy into the lockers! I am s-so s-s-sorry! I can't believe I did that! I'm just not a nice person! I don't deserve to go back to life! I'm not nearly kind enough!" she wailed, stuttering and placing necessary sobs in her speech. 

"Oh no! We don't believe that, Rose! Don't cry! You don't have to take the test, it'll be all right," Koenma cooed. Rose looked up, her eyes red. 

"R-really?"

"Sure! I can see already that you're a nice person," Koenma said. Rose flew around to the other side of the desk and gave him a tight hug. 

"Oh, thank you, Koenma! You are too kind to me!" she said with a smile. Koenma grinned at the attention. After a moment, Rose pulled away, smiling, mostly to herself, and silently congratulated herself on her achievement. 

The doors to the room burst open, slamming against the walls. "Hey Toddler!" came a laughing voice from the doorway. 

"Yusuke, will you stop calling me that!" Koenma pouted, crossing his arms and getting a very sour look on his face. 

"What's with the new girl?" he asked, jabbing a thumb in Rose's direction after taking a glance around the room. Rose held a tongue that threatened to lash horrible words. 

'I need to keep calm and innocent if they're going to believe this act. I should just stay silent,' Rose thought to herself, brightening her smile.

"Oh, this is Rose, she's getting her life back too, just like you did!" Botan explained with a cheerful giggle. 

"Hn, this little prep? C'mon, gimme a break," Yusuke mused. Rose tried to keep a glare from her eyes while she moved to face the boy, turning from Koenma. 

"Yusuke! Be polite!" Botan and Koenma said. 

"Its okay, I've heard worse in America. People over there are incredibly rude. But in Japan, people are so polite and nice! Koenma, you must have a good impression on the people down there!" Rose said, her voice dripping with honey. Yusuke looked at her scoffingly, mumbling something that hinted 'suck-up'. She walked toward the detective, grace in her step, her well-formed shape swaying to her long stride. The top of her head hardly came up to the black-haired boy's shoulder. Her smile was still sweet as her dagger-shooting dark green eyes bore into his own, warning him about her temper without words. He was taken back a step at the glare before returning it himself. 

She walked past him without missing a step and stood beside Botan, the sweet smile on her face unwavering. Yusuke's glare did not fade as he watched her. 

The doors to the room opened once again, but did not swing open boastingly. They opened quietly and in the room stepped a red-haired, green-eyed boy about fifteen. The air about his was calm, wisdom in his step and expression.

"Ah, Kurama," Koemna said placidly.

"Hello, Koenma," the boy said quietly, glancing around the room. Rose's eyes opened wide.

'He's the one that stole the mirror to save his human mother. He's really a fox that took the body of an unborn child to save himself if I remember right. Its no wonder why all the human girls are after him or why my friend back home in America loves him so much, he's even cuter in real life,' Rose thought to herself, trying not to stare. Her smile widened, but this time it was very nearly genuine. 

"Kurama, this is Rose, she's here to get her life back." Botan said the introductions. Yusuke watched the girl's expression change to surprise and recognition once again as it did when he had walked into the room. 

'She looks like she recognized us. This is strange,' Yusuke thought to himself. 

"Oh! Kurama! Hello!" Rose said, going up to him with a giggle. The boy smiled down at her. "Koenma, if it wasn't for Yusuke, I'd say you have hired the cutest detectives in the world!" she said with a grin, still looking into the bright green eyes of the boy in front of her. Yusuke gritted his teeth in anger while Botan giggled. "You're so smart!" she said to the ruler.

'I can't believe this is really happening! Youko Kurama the infamous thief from the demon world! This is so exciting!' Rose thought to herself. She offered her hand and he shook it calmly. 

'Wow, talk about mood swings, this girl goes from calmly furious to eccentrically excited. Now she's acting like Botan,' Yusuke thought, crossing his arms, his eyes still glaring at the girl. 

"Its _so_ nice to meet you!" Rose babbled.

"Its nice to meet you too, Rose," Kurama said before clearing his throat and looking down at his hand pointingly. 

"Oh, sorry," Rose said with a giggle, releasing his hand that she had unconsciously clasped in her excitement. Kurama just smiled as if it happened all the time. 'I bet it does,' Rose said to herself at the thought. 

A black shadow entered the room, quietly, swiftly, unnoticed. But Rose noticed, standing in front of Kurama like she was, she saw the door behind him and the entering of the black-cloaked male. He was about the same height as her and looked to be about nineteen. Her breath caught in her throat at she looked at him.

'Its Hiei, the fire demon. He's the one had the Jagan eye. He can read minds with it can't he? If he reads mine, I'll be dead, my cover blown like the wind. But wait, isn't he the quiet one? The one that doesn't care about anyone but himself? Hm, I guess I'll just have to keep quiet now, just to make sure,' Rose thought to herself. Kurama saw the expression on her face and turned to the short, black-haired demon behind him. When he turned, he revealed the figure to the rest of the room, making the youkai glare at the suddenly stiff girl. 

"Hiei, nice of you to join us," Kurama said. 'That's right, I remember, that's how Hiei was caught, he was in alliance with Kurama when they stole those things from Koenma and Kurama helped Yusuke defeat him. They're nearly best friends, if Hiei's capable of having them. Wow, I liked him on TV, but in real life he is a real Hotty!' Rose's thoughts wandered as she slowly crept backward to stand next to Botan. 

"Hn," the fire youkai replied, crossing his arms.

"Ah, Botan, what do we do now?" Rose asked in a whisper.

"Oh! Right, we should be going!" Botan said.

"It was nice meeting you three," Rose said with a smile as she slowly backed toward the door, trying not to betray her nervousness. 

"I'll see you later!" Botan said with a wave as they left.

"Hn, Hiei, looks like you had a negative effect on the girl. She totally shut up when you walked in the room. Before she was babbling and sweet talking worse than Botan!" Yusuke said with a laugh.

"Where do we go now, Botan?" Rose asked as they walked down a long hall. 

"Well, we have to go back to the human world of course! And then wait for Koenma. He'll then manipulate your body so that once you get some life-energy from another person, you can return to life!" she replied.

"Oh. I see!" Rose followed the blue-haired girl down the hall. Suddenly, she felt a presences to her left. A warm, glowing feeling seemed to be coming from the room. She hesitated as she watched Botan talk to the air behind her, where Rose was suppose to be walking. 

Curious, Rose walked uneasily through the wall. She came upon a large, doomed room that looked like a vault. In the center of the room was three items, of which Rose recognized as the items Hiei and Kurama had stolen when they were arrested. But to the left, in front of her, was a large broad sword on a stand, which buzzed in what almost sounded annoyance. 

'I'll have to be quick so Botan doesn't find me here,' she thought to herself. She strutted up to the sword. She felt like it calmed as she walked up. She touched it cautiously and it glowed a milky, then suddenly bright, gold. She was taken back a moment and retreated her hand. But then, as the gold began to fade, she touched it again. Its buzzing became words. 

'Take...me...with...you,' it seemed to say. She was startled a moment. 'This must be the sword that Ogre was talking about.'

"Why?" she whispered to it.

'I...am...not to...be...imprisoned...like they...own me...I am...my own...person,' it gasped in her mind. She thought a moment, hesitant.

'I've deceived many people, but I have never stolen anything,' Rose thought. 

'You will not...be stealing...me...I am asking...you to...save me,' came the deep voice again. Rose looked around, still hesitating. Finally, she picked up the sword, who seemed to sigh in relief.

'Dammit, if I get caught, I will really be in trouble. I'll have to think quickly if I get into a jam if they find out. I'll just have to stash it somewhere safe until I return to life,' she thought to herself. The sword suddenly shrunk and seemed to become invisible, looking almost like a transparent dagger. Quickly, she put the sword against her leg, letting her half-calf socks hold it in place as she walked through the wall again. Her right foot, which held the sword, made an almost silent sucking sound as it passed through the wall. 

'Hm, I figured that's why it became invisible,' she thought before looking around. Botan had gone straight, she had watched her walk down the long hall. But far ahead, up on her right, there was a large arch where a hall broke off from the main walk-way. 

'Perfect,' Rose thought to herself, walking with silent feet, even in her tall, clunky shoes, down the way of the hall. 'Its been about two minutes, Botan's bond to have noticed I wasn't following her by now. I'll just keep walking down this hall until I hear her. With her big mouth, the whole castle will probably shake at her call.' The girl walked down the hall, her movements playing the perfect part of a lost little girl. Her breath was quick, nervous, just as she made it, her eyes shifty, watching ahead and behind, and her expression portraying a scene of utter confusion. Suddenly, as if on a director's cue, Botan's voice rang through the halls. Rose almost smiled at the predictability.

"Botan?" came her seemingly frightened voice. "Botan! Where are you?" She began to run down the hall, making sure to keep her pace frightened and otherwise unreadable. At the end of the hall she bumped into the girl. With an 'owaf' they backed away from each other, Rose holding her head, trying to hide a smile. 

'Couldn't have planned it better if I had spent hours thinking about it,' the girl thought. She looked up, her eyes the reflection of fear and relief.

"Oh Botan! I thought I would walk these halls forever! I was looking at a painting on the wall and then you were gone and...and, oh Botan! Thank you so much for finding me!" she wailed, draping her arms around the other girl.

"Rose, are you okay? Its alright. C'mon, well get going. Just don't stop to look around without telling me first okay?" Botan said worriedly, Rose nodded. "Okay, let's go, and walk right next to me, I don't want you getting lost again."

Rose sighed, and Botan passed it as relief for being in her company again. She never would have guess that it was happy relief for the passing of her plan. 

'This better be worth it,' Rose thought to herself as they walked the remainder of the halls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Authoress' Note: Okay! Chapter two is done! Yay! She's seen YYH?! Well, that's not surprising, since any anime freak has seen at least ONE episode! Anyway, how'd ya'll like it? Bad? Good? I promise it gets better as soon as she comes back to life. Oh shit, there I go giving away the ending again! I also wanted to tell you that +blah blah+ means they were speaking in Japanese ^_^ sorry about that! Anyway..

Yusuke: Hey! I thought I was the only one who comes back to life! -pout-

J: quit being so selfish! Besides, it was the only way I could think to start this with the way I wanted to work everything, so deal!

Hiei: -shakes head-

Kurama: -chuckle-

Kuwabara: Kitty!!!!

All: -_- damn.

J: That's it! Leave my cat alone you freak! -welds magic wooden spoon- before I bash you over the head!

Kuwabara: -cower- okay okay! Geez, no need for violence!

All: *sigh* 

J: and because you've scared my cat half to hell, _you_ have to do the disclaimer!

Kuwabara: -groan- aw man!

J: -glare- -hands sheet of paper- Take this, just because I know you wont do it right unless you read it.

Kuwabara: -reading- J does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any characters in- in- incop- incoper- in copper-

Yusuke: Incorporated! Its incorporated dammit!

Kuwabara: oh, right, incorporated into it. Although she does own Rose, Thorn and BlackFire.

J: -shakes head- I should have known better than to put big words on there.

Hiei: I'm surprised he could even read any of it. Hn.

Kuwabara: hey! Take that back shrimp!

J: -eye brow twitch-

All: uh oh 0.0' -finds random hiding place-

J: Oh! And I want to think my two reviewers!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! 

Squeakers: don't worry, I've saved Pilgrim -glare to Kuwabara, who's hiding as a lamp-

Yuki san1: ^_^ Pilgrim's fine now! Hiding contently under my bed, laying on a box that is perminately dented and covered in long, yellow, cat hair. And no more Bold!! Yay! Thanks for the tip! Its just that on my comp (even though its brand new) it looks really skinny unless I put it in bold. And I did the separation of the AN and the story with ~~~~~. Thanks for the help!

J: okay! Two reviews! Lets get s'more! 

Yusuke: -ducks from closet- Smores???? Did I hear smores? 

J: -glare- 

Yusuke: -ducks back into closet-


	3. Living Again

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

****

__

Chapter Three: Living Again

"Koenma! Its so nice to see you again!" Rose said, her tone the perfect sound of utter excitment. They were in America, a place where it looked as if Koenma had never been. They were in the girl's room, which was the picture of innocents: a wild horse boarder, light pink walls with light green curtains, a rug with mustangs on it in the center of the hard-wood floor and pictures of horses decorating the walls tastefully. The only sign of her eccentricity was the tons of horse show ribbons draping on string along the length of the horse boarder, giving the room a bright gleam of colors. 

'I'm glad I was going to hold off on painting my room dark blue and silver until the week I got back, or Koenma might get the wrong impression,' Rose had thought as she looked at her body that lay on her bed. Her mother had been in her room, holding her hand and crying. Rose had come in the woman's dreams to tell her that she was coming back, reminding her of Yusuke and his adventures in other people's dreams and of what would be needed for her soul to return to her body. 

People stood outside the room, the house packed with her family and schoolmates. Although most were not friends but for maybe one or two, it gave Koenma the impression that this girl was wanted back in this life. When Rose's mother left the room, Koenma set to work, bright golden waves flowing over her body. He went over the rules of her getting back into her body. Someone who wanted her back would have to kiss her to give the needed life energy and she would instantly be returned to life. 

"Thank you so much Koenma," she had said, her words almost heart-felt. 

"Now just remember the rules. By noon you'll be glowing gold, and then you have until midnight to get the needed life energy," he said seriously.

"I wont forget," she said with a smile, giving the toddler a tight hug and giggling. The young ruler grinned and blushed. 

Hours passed before the girls body began to glow at noon. By two, most of the people in the house had left and her mother came into the room once again, her face red and tear-streaked. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the scene in her dream being played before her eyes. She walked up slowly to the body as the three souls above her held their breath. With a fresh burst of tears, the woman hugged her daughter and gave her a soft kiss.

"Stay handsome, Koenma, I'm sure I'll see everyone again in the future," Rose said before her soul was again sucked into her body. 

With a groggy moan, the girl began to sit up in her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Suddenly, she bolted upright in the bed, making the springs creak and groan. Her mother had wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace, tears falling faster than ever before. Rose returned the hug with a small smile to herself. She looked up to the ceiling of her room, where she knew that Botan and Koenma sat on the air. She grinned at them, for the first time, a genuine smile of thanks, giving them a thumbs-up sign behind her mother's back that she knew they saw. 

*

"Its only a matter of time before they look and see that you're gone," the newly-revived Rose said to the sword. 

After returning to the human world, she had asked Botan for a moment alone to watch her friends and family. The grim-reaper had complied happily, and flew off for a few hours back to the Spirit World. Rose had felt the sword begin to vibrate in strain from keeping its size so small, and it was steadily growing larger, no matter how hard it seemed to try to stop. Quickly, Rose had placed it under a small waterfall that flowed in her small stream that ran to a large creek. Under the waterfall was a small, innoticable cave where she hid the weapon. She bid it to hide itself best it could, so that no one could feel its energy. It said in its mind speach it would try its best. 

When Rose returned to her house, she watched her family and schoolmates as they grieved over her. She felt like scoffing them, but just then Botan returned, Koenma by her side, making her put a sorrowful look on her face before they saw her sneering expression.

After coming back to life, Rose had gone down to the site where she had stashed the sword. She looked at it now, contemplating what she was suppose to do with it. It seemed to have had a spell on it that had stopped it from communicating in the room in the castle had worn off, and now it spoke to her freely.

'Don't worry about it, they will not think to look at you. From what I have seen, and what you have told me, they think of you as nothing but the picture of innocents. The fools,' came the swords vibrant voice in her mind. She smiled and shook her head. 

"Now, the question is, where to put you," she said. "I can't just leave you here, and its not like I can hide you in my closet, or you'll be discovered, and I can't exactly carry you around with me." 

'But you can. Put me on your back, and I'll use my magic to make ties to hold me there,'

"Listen, this isn't hundreds of years ago when people used to carry around swords all the time. Now you can be thrown in jail for carrying around a weapon, and frankly, I don't want to draw attention to myself so soon after coming back from the dead." Rose felt weird, talking to a sword, but sounding as if she was talking to herself.

'I can make myself invisable for long periods of time with short breaks in between. But I agree about not drawing attention to us.'

"Us?"

'Yes, we are one now. If you choose to keep me, then we will forever be together, for I have chosen you to be my welder,' came the reply. 'And, if we stay together, I will bestow upon you my awsome and limitless power.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Okay! Chapter three! It took me a couple days to put it up, but here it is! Yay!

Yusuke: How come none of the important characters are in this chapter? -pout-

J: -twitch- because this was more of an information chapter! Notice I skipped a lot of details conserning her coming back to life? Geez, gimme a break. The next chapter will be full of action, I promise.

Yusuke: -grumble- okay. Fine. Kuwabara! Will you stop with the pouting?! Its driving me insane! -holds head-

Kuwabara: -muttering- kitty. Kitty. kitty. I wanna kitty cat. 

All: -_-' dork.

J: listen Kuwabara! Pilgrim is my pet! And I don't want him to start freaking out because of you and your stupid obsession! It gets you and your friends into enough trouble in a later chapter.

All: Really?

J: -nods- its true

All: Damn you Kuwabara! -welds mallets and starts to mutalate him-

J: Reviews are greatly appreciated! -watches brutality- okay you guys, that's enough, I do have the smallest of parts for him next chapter, when he gets his ass kicked, so try to be a little nice.

All: awww!

J: yes I know you want to beat him to a bloody pulp, just not today, okay?

All: -pout--nod-

J: okay! Well then, I'll be updating soon, maybe I'll post another chapter tonight!

Random Person: YAY! 

All: -stare- where did they come from?

J: just a person I just created -shrug- okay Kuwabara! Because you refuse to leave my cat alone without pain, you must do the disclaimer! BWAHAHAHA!

All but Kuwabara: -evil snicker-

Kuwabara: NOOO!!!!

J: yes, and I made a simple, easy-to-read disclaimer this time. -hands him papers-

Kuwabara: -sigh- okay. -looks at papers, each has one word on it- J. does. Not. Own. Anyone. But. Rose. And. BlackFire. And. Her. Cat. Pilgrim. Which. Kuwabara. Cannot. Have.

J: -claps- good job!

Kuwabara: -pout- I wanna kitty.

Yusuke: you have a cat! That one I rescued from that freak when I came back to life!

Kuwabara: oh yeah

All: -sigh- baka.

J: kk! That's all for now! New chappy coming soon! Please review!


	4. A Mysterious New Ally Arrives

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Four: A Mysterious New Ally

Yusuke bolted down the stairs and out the hotel. He looked around, searching for GenKai. 

"Yusuke Urimeshi.." came a voice to his right. He looked over to see a large group of demons surrounding a girl, who was in a fighting stance and looked ready to beat them all into the ground. Her hair was long and flowing to her waist where it danced slightly as she shifted her weight on her right heel and her eyes were bright green. "GenKai is not too far, about a mile into the sun. You'll find her easily enough." The young woman smiled, the look in her eye was sly and cunning as she watched the demons that had begun to close in, not paying attention to the boy behind them, almost as they didn't see him. "You had better go," she said, and with a nearly unnoticable twitch of her hand, the demon's moved in, obscuring her.

"Hey!" the spirit detective started before being cut off.

"Go," she said, thuds accenting her voice as she beat on the mass around her. "I can take care of myself."

With growing anxiety the boy turned and raced into the woods to find his mentor. 

*(Fore warning here! I HAVE NO CLUE HOW THE DARK TURNAMATE ENDS, THIS IS JUST THE ENDING I CREATED!)

"Hello Keonma," says a girl, around fifteen, standing in front of the Prince. She was leaning against the wall to his right, hidden in deep shadows. Keonma, in his teenaged form, looked up, binky bobbing as he spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked, turning from the blue Ogre at his side. The girl smiled at him and steps forward.

"My name? You can call me Thorn. But there are more important matters.." she said softly, her voice a melodious song to the prince's ears. At this he straightened.

"Oh! I need to get to the arena!" the prince said, and started forward, only to be stopped by the girl, who straighted and stood up, her crossed arms dropping to her sides.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about, _sir_," she said placidly, her voice hinting sarcasim. 

"I don't have time for this!" said the boy hotly, but his statement only proved to widen her sad smile.

"Yes you do. I'm here to save your skin, and here you are pushing me away," she said almost seductivly. 

He eyed her wearily, her long, brown-black hair glinting in the shadows of the tunnel that lead out into an arena that held the ruler's team, who was short one player thanks to an unfortunate end to Gen Kai. A black, iron emblem glinted at her throat, its serpentine body coiled in hot anger, its eyes made of bright sapphire chips.

"What do you mean?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Now you don't want to risk your hide out there do you, Keonma? I'm here so you don't have to. You can go back upstairs and sit in your comfortable chair and watch the fight. I'll take Gen Kai's position in the Turnament." She stepped closer to him, out of the majority of shadows.

"What makes you think I can trust you?" he asked wearily. She grinned. 

"What makes you think you can't?" she asked cunningly. "I mean, I am human, down here in a world of demons. You think I don't know how to survive? Besides, it wouldn't matter. Those stubborn boys wouldn't let me fight anyway, and you know that as well as I do, don't you?" she asked quizzically, but not expecting an answer, so the boy was cut off when she continued. "I'll just be there as a substitute, just incase something goes amiss." Her green eyes bore into his, convincing him. 'Why not? It'll save your skin...because there is always that chance that it'll come to you fighting....'

He shook his head, breaking from her gaze. He glanced back at her. 

"I am a healer of sorts as well, and I'm sure there will be plenty of pieces to mend when this battle is done," she said.

"Hmm," was all the prince said. She looked up at him, her five-foot three not measuring up to the tall lord, but her gaze intimidating. Fear quickened its step up his spine. He was only, at heart, a toddler after all.

"Sir, what are you going to do? Surely you can't trust her!" said the silent blue ogre in a trench coat, who had come to his master's side. 

"And what makes you think we can't? If she pulled anything, then anyone on the team could take care of it. And she's right when she says that they wouldn't let her fight." He sighed. "Yes, I suppose she could take my place." He turned his head at the mumbling from the Ogre, giving him a fierce glare. "What was that Ogre?" he quipped. 

"Oh nothing, Sir!" he said, waving his hands, and sweat-dropping, proving he was indeed not thinking about nothing.

"Very well, Thorn," said the prince, nodding. "Go. But if you pull anything...." he threatened. The girl tilted her head in a nod.

"Yes, Koenma, I am quite aware of your power. Nothing will happen." And with that, she turned and walked toward the door, from which behind its thick walls came angry shouts. The prince followed her, to tell the team of what was conversing. 

The door opened, revealing a large dome, lined with shouting and cheering demons that brayed for a bloody fight. On a large arena stood a reptilian girl who was trying in vain to quiet the crowd. The Urameshi team turned.

"Yo, who is that?" asked Kuwabara, a tall, carrot-topped fighter with extraordinary scences for tracing spirit energy. 

"This is your new team member, Kuwabara," said Keonma, walking from the shadows and looking at all of them knowingly.

"But she's a girl!" screeched the boy, staring. 

"I'm sure he's aware of that you dolt," replied the quiet Hiei with his crimson eyes looking at the new-comer. 

"I am," replied the prince. Thorn smirked at this, looking over the team. 

"Ah, team Urameshi? The rules state that a new member can only enter the team if the former one was killed," the announcer said, her turguoise tail twitching nervously.

Thorn turned to Yusuke, who was clearly pained by this statement. The girl straightened and walked forward, toward the arena, her soft, leather, tie-up boots silent on the grass. She walked up to the announcer, putting her back to the team, revealing a glistening double-edged broad sword the glowed a faint bluish tint in the dim light. Her short, black leather skirt and single-strap top, which was leather as well, shifted easily with her graceful movements, her hair swaying down to her waistline in a ever-flowing waterfall. Her left hand began to slowly close by her side as she walked forward proudly, her head high and determined. Yusuke's eyes closed involentarily and he shook his head to block out all sound. 

"Team Urameshi's fifth fighter, GenKai, met with her end not too long ago. I am here to take her place as the fifth fighter for the team," the girl explained, her soothing voice was clear, even over the roar of the crowd, to the team. All but for Yusuke. The announcer nodded, acknowledging Thorn's words. The girl turned and walked back, her fist unclenching slowly as she smiled almost sweetly. 

Yusuke's eyes opened and he turned to Koenma. 

"You coward!" he hissed, advancing toward the brown-haired boy. 

"She asked me, Yusuke, not the other way around. Besides, she doesn't need to fight, just sit on the sidelines," the prince spoke simply.

The girl walked over to the cement wall and leaned against it.

"Koenma, your chair is getting cold," she said, a smirk tracing her features. With a glare, the young ruler walked away, leaving the rest of the team in disgust or confusion, but for the girl. She yawned and leaned against the solid wall paciently, eyes staring straight ahead into nothingness. Yusuke glanced at her, reconizing something about her, but not quite placing it. 

"Will the first fighter for the Urameshi Team step forward please?!" cried the announcer. The dark red-head Kurama stepped forward. The fight was harsh and bloody, but Kurama prevailed, with the help of his plant weapons. His wounds were so great, he nearly dropped there on the arena. 

"And the Urameshi Team is the winner of the first fight!" declared the announcer flatly.

Thorn stepped forward without a word. She stared crossly at the wounded boy, her gaze intense.

'Get up. I don't want to have to waste my energy levitating you out just so I could use more energy healing your wounds!'

The words rang clear and almost coaxing, like the stern voice of a mother. He looked up to the strange girl staring at him with green eyes that now were tinted a faint glow of cobalt. He stood up and stumbled over to the edge of the arena, where he slid from the stone arena floor. He leaned his back against the arena's cool stone as her right hand rested on his left shoulder. It glowed a fierce and comforting blue around him. His eyes closed as the waves of warmth spread around him. The girl mumbled, he couldn't make out her words, but they sounded touched with annoyance. But she didn't seem to be talking to him. Her words were met with answering hums and buzzes. 

'It must be my head,' he thought.

The team watched as Thorn went about caring to Kurama. 

"The second fighter for the teams please step forward!" said the pink-clad announcer into the microphone, her voice thundering over the booing voices of thousands of demons. Hiei stepped forward without hesitation.

Kurama awoke to the level gaze of the long-haired girl. 

"I thought you might have wanted to see Hiei's fight," she said coolly. His large green eyes opened slowly, and his body tensed, ready to feel the pain that must surely would sear through his body. "Relax, the majority of your wounds are healed, if a little crudely. But its enough so that you can walk over there," she said, pointing to the wall she had been leaning on earlier, which proved a good viewing spot. "And stay awake to watch him battle." Kurama nodded and got up slowly, much to the amazement of the rest of the team. 

"But he was hurt," said Kuwabara, awed. "She must have healing powers like Yukina."

"Yeah, guess so," spoke Yusuke, realizing now that Koenma had thought that the girl would be a better addition to the team then himself spacifically for that reason, that she could heal. He watched her uncertainly.

Thorn walked Kurama over to the cement wall, and bid him to sit on the grass to watch the fight. He did as he was told. She stood beside him, guarding him like a mother hen would her chicks. 

The battle was intense, but the victor proved to be Hiei. He walked out of the arena, although, like Kurama, he was badly injured. Again Thorn walked forward to the arena's edge. Her glare pierced into the demon's mind, her gaze assesing the damage. She sighed almost innoticably and the broad sword on her back hummed a soft tune. 

'You don't go lightly do you Hiei? Its all or nothing for you isn't it?' a soft voice asked, a tisking clicking in the fire-youkai's mind. His head jerked toward the healing girl, who stood at the edge of the cement platform. His scarlet eyes were cold as he glared down at her, knowing that it was her voice that blended in his mind softly. Their eyes met, a meeting filled with seething electricity as the demon's fiery eyes met with her cool jade ones. Their stare of wills battled for a few moments before the youkai's savage wounds reminded him they still existed and made him tear his gaze away and grit his teeth.

'Come out of the arena and I will treat your wounds,' cooed the voice. At this his gaze fastened to her face, but she was no longer looking at him, but past him at the brutially severed body that was slowly soaking the floor a sickening red, burnishing the stones with liquid rays of life, and the ending of it. He stood straighter and exited the arena without a word, but when the girl began to approach, he shot her a warning glare, his Jagan Eye glowing from its position in his forehead. Her soft gaze turned hard and stubborn and began to glow a faint bluish hue, matching the sword's mist. The demon turned away and began to walk, well, limp, away from the arena's edge. 

The girl's eyes narrowed and her sword began to buzz pleadingly. A small twitch of her head rendered it silent. She closed her eyes and hardened her jaw, yet expression was still strangely soft. 

She closed her eyes and the retreating form of the black-haired youkai paused, his step quaking. She opened her eyes and twitched her hand; Hiei stopped. Her eyes narrowed once again, their depths a burnishing azure. She rose her chin higher and raised her hand to the level of her hip. She quickly flipper her hand palm-up, only to turn it over slowly. When nothing seemed to happen she slowly pushed the hand down.

Hiei fell to a knee. As Thorn's hand began its decent, his eyes closed and he knelt there, frozen in place. She approached him fearlessly, her brisk walk bringing her to his side quickly. Her eyes shone down angry, but soft, as if she had expected such an occurance to take place. 

"Get up and walk over next to Kurama," she said quietly, but to the rest of the team's amazement, the fire demon slowly stood and walked to where he was bidden. "Sit," she said simply, and he did, his eyes still closed, his mind sleeping reluctently. Kurama looked up at her quizzically, but her eyes were on Hiei as she knelt down next to him, blue aura smoking from her fingers, wrapping around his body just as it had done to Kurama.

"Stubborn," she muttered under her breath. "At least he's asleep, now I can work without hurting him."

Kurama chuckled. "It will take more than a little crude healing to give Hiei any pain."

She glanced up at the human boy, her eyes burning with a blankness he had never seen. "Well he's never felt my healing before, its awful," she scoffed, turning back to her patient. 

"I disagree," the fox demon said simply.

"Will the next fighters please enter the arena?" called the announcer, disrupting their conversation. Both Toguro brothers entered the arena, as did Yusuke and Kuwabara. Two on Two.

"Wake up, Hiei," said Thorn, shaking the newly healed youkai. Deep cardinal eyes opened quickly, and his lungs took in a quick breath, as if stifling a gasp. His eyes turned up to the girl, heated in anger. She almost smiled, 'I told Kurama my healing was awful,' she thought to herself

"Look, they're about to start," said Kurama, drawing Hiei's gaze from Thorn to the two teams. The girl too looked up, watching the fight with her eyes beginning to glow their normal green and her sword hissing in her ear. But she soon turned back to the still-injured fire demon in front of her. His hand was badly burnt, from his Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack. Her hand reached out to caress the burns with her healing power, only to have Hiei pull back. Thorn looked up at him with a sigh and a dissaproving look in her eye.

'You wont heal without help,' she said to him, her words seeping into his mind. 

'I can take care of it myself,' he said back. 

'Hiei, don't make me put you back to sleep. I woke you up because I thought you might actually want to watch the fight. If you insist upon being that stubborn, well, then you wont be awake much longer to _be_ stubborn,' she said, and edge in her voice. Hiei seemed to debate before letting her fingers caress his burns as her energy healed them throughly.

When she was done, she stood up, leaning against the wall with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. Her power was dwindling now, and it aggrivated her. She stared off into space, a seemingly bored expression on her face. 

Hiei glanced up, noticing the expression. Nothing that happened in the arena seemed to surprise her, if she was even watching. He wondered what she was thinking about. He tapped into the power of his Jagan, searching her mind. He was locked out instantly by another force. Surely not this weak human's own! It growled in his mind, flashing a threatening set of glistening fangs and shinning blue orbs, a sliver of black in each saying that the creature verged on insanity.

Hiei pulled back his powers, stiffening his back against the stone wall and staring straight ahead. At the same instant, the girl turned her face down on the youkai, her glare hot and burning cobalt. With a comforting buzz from the sword, her eyes turned back to the fighting teams. 

'You shouldn't pry, Hiei. I have a fierce guardian,' came her voice into his mind. 'Watch the fight, its something you'll want to see.' With that her voice retreated. Hiei brought his gaze back to the fight.

The battle on the round arena's floor was tense, but he couldn't draw his mind back to it easily. But he did, and watched as Team Urameshi won the Dark Turnamate. 

Thorn walked forward as the victors were announced, hopping easily onto the platform. Kuwabara was hurt the most, and made it clearly known.

"Hey you-!" he began, only to be cut off.

"Yukina will tend to your wounds, I'm very nearly drained," she said coolly, turning to Yusuke.

'How did she know about Yukina?' thought the carrot-topped boy. 

'I have ways of knowing about everything,' spat her voice into his mind. He jerked his head up, but her head was turned toward Yusuke and he passed it off as his imagination and nothing more. 

She came within a few feet of the black-haired boy, sighing at the inflicted wounds. She knelt down, flipping her long hair over her shoulder she set to work, welkin-blue fire streaming from her fingertips into the wounded body of the spirit detective. He felt better instantly and sighed with relief. 

Thorn lowered her hand and let out an exhusted breath. She closed her eyes a moment, regaining her composure. 

While Thorn healed Yusuke, Yukina had come down from the stands and healed Kuwabara. Boton and Keiko came over to Yusuke and the girl. The black-clad girl looked to the two girls. She nodded silently.

"Done," she said her voice slightly gruff.

"Thank you," came the replies from all three of them before they began to babble. 

The announcer came up. They were to name their prize for winning the turnament. They went down the line, until they cam upon the healing girl. She snorted, her arms crossed. 

"You can give me nothing that I could not aquire in less then a year, and that includes power," she spat, walking off the arena's stone floor and back through the doors from which she had come. The team watched her go, hair streaming over her back in a brown-black river with glinting gold highlights. They looked at each other and shrugged.

Thorn passed Keonma as he was making his way toward his team. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but she stopped and cut him off with a glare. She said nothing as she walked briskly away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Hai! Done with Four! Yay! Okay, now we're getting into the good stuff. From now on, its full of action! Yeah! 

Hiei: I can't believe you made me look so weak.

J: Quiet you! I needed it to show…wait, I know there was a reason why I wanted to show that. Umm.

Kurama: The great Authoress is at a loss for words. A pity.

J: -growl- silence Fox. You know, I could always edit this chapter to make you die…..

Kurama: Well, you could, but you still need me for later chapters, do you not?  


J: -growl- damn. Yeah, I guess I forgot about that. Hn.

Hiei: watch it, that's my symbolic word.

J: -hiss- Silence!

All: 0_0 don't make her angry, Hiei.

J: just because you said that, you'll have to do the disclaimer.

Hiei: -sigh-

J: well, actually, I'll give you a choice. You can do the disclaimer, or you can be attacked by a small group of fan girls.

Hiei: O.O I think I'll take the disclaimer.

J: nah, I take that back, you have to get attacked by the 'small' -does finger quotes- group of fan girls. 

Hiei: -weary- what do you mean by 'small' -does finger quotes- group?

J: oh, only about five hundred. I mean, these people I just got off the street, it doesn't even hold a torch to the people I _could_ get to torchure you! Bwahahaha! -talks on radio- okay, you can let the fan girls in now.

Hiei: agg! -jumps out window, fftting (its that cool sound he makes on the anime when he goes really fast) way)

J: hehe.

Yusuke: were there really five hundred fan girls waiting downstairs?

J: of course! ^_^

Kuwabara: then why are you laughing.

J: hehe, because I told them Hiei's favorite hidding place in that big tree! -grin-

Botan: I'm confused

All: -sigh-

J: and to think, some people like smart and handsome Kurama with the bubbly, air-headed, Grim Reaper Botan as a pair. Sorry, I just don't think its right…..

All: anyway…..

J: anyway! Yusuke, since you haven't done it yet, you get to do the disclaimer!

Yusuke: -whine- why me?

J: _because!_ I said so. Now, don't make me threaten you! -holds up spoon-

Yusuke: -cringe- okay okay! J does not own YYH but does own this plot, Thorn, Rose, and BlackFire.

J: good boy!

Yusuke: Can I have a cookie now? I'm hungry.

Rest but Yusuke: -_-'


	5. The Dawning Conversation and the Note

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Five: The Dawning Conversation and the Note

The team stumbled into the hotel room. Thorn was already there, laying on one of the couches with her booted feet propped up by an arm rest and her hands behind her head as she watched them enter. Her sword lay leaning against the arm rest, silent, but still glowing.

"How did you get in here?" Yusuke asked, surprised at finding the girl in the room.

"Magic," she said, her voice smiling as her lips twitched.

"Don't mess with me," Yusuke spat.

"Do you think I lie?" she asked, rising an eyebrow. Yusuke didn't answer and her face was almost smug, but was lined with exhustion. 

"Who are you?" Kurama asked as they walked in, Yusuke leaning against the wall behind the second couch, on which Kuwabara sitting on across from the girl, shifting nervously, Kurama standing next to the door while Hiei moved to sit in the window. 

"I have already told you my name, what more do you want?" she asked a little too innocently. 

"I've seen you before," Yusuke said. He had been watching her intently and her tone sparked a memory deep within his mind.

"Yes you have," she said, turning to him.

"You were outside the hotel, surrounded by those demons," he said, trying to think back, but the memory had very nearly been erased by the death of GenKai. "I thought for sure they'd killed you."

"Well this isn't the first time I say that people underestimate me far too often," she said with a half-smile. 

"So why were they after ya?" Kuwabara asked. Thorn's smile widened.

"For reasons of their own." Smugginess contorted her features as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked. The girl looked at him and shook her head.

"Tell me, what do you think was going through their heads? A lone human girl out on a stroll, seemingly defenceless? Don't tell me that you're that stupid, boy," she said with a snort. They all looked at her with scorn at the tone she had taken.

After a moment she closed her eyes and again put her hands behind her head, sighing in content. The silence that followed was thick and stifling as uneasiness took its toll on the boys in the room while Thorn seemed to doze, unaware of the shifting Kuwabara on the other couch and the glaring Yusuke as he leaned against the far wall. Kurama and Hiei were deep in thought, staring off into space.

Finally, after about half a hour, the girl's sword, which had been glowing silently, suddenly buzzed. Thorn's eyes opened and she stretched, seemingly refreshed. Her eyes strayed to the window behind her, were Hiei sat. The sky had grown dark, only the moon's bright rays lighting the surrounding land. She sat up slowly. 

"Where are you going?" Yusuke asked as she picked up her sword, which was humming excitedly. She turned to him and smirked as she placed her weapon on her back. She walked toward the door and opened it, without missing a step she threw a threatening green gaze toward the spirit detective before shutting the door behind her with a soft bang. Yusuke scoffed and walked into one of the bedrooms.

Hiei turned back toward the window, watching as a light breeze ruffled the moon-streaked tree tops. He watched as Thorn exited the building and walked into the woods fearlessly until even the glow of her sword had faded from view.

Kuwabara yawned tiredly and stood up a few moments later. 

"I'm goin' to bed," he said and exited the room. Not long after, Kurama, too, left to his bed. Hiei did not move from his seat on the thick window sill. He opened the window just a crack, listening to the night sounds. There was unnatural rustlings about two miles into the woods, something was on the hunt. A four-legged creature, if he was correct. 

'Koenma is not that dense,' he thought as his mind wandered to the healing girl who had mysteriously appeared to tend their wounds. 'She must had convinced him through her mind speech. She seems harmless enough, her energy is hardly noticable. But the way she healed us today, all of us, suggests that she is much more than she appears.' 

-People underestimate me far too often.- Those were her words. What did she mean by them? 'Something is not right about her. She is modest about showing her true power, which must be much greater than any mere human could emmit.'

'Why do I reconize that girl?' Yusuke thought, staring at his ceiling. He was exhusted, even after being fully healed by Thorn, but he couldn't get the question to stop plaguing him. With a disgruntled snort he turned over and closed his eyes. 'Well hopefully that's the last we ever see of her.'

'There is something dangerously strange about Thorn,' Kurama thought. 'Her powers are ancient and strong. Wherever she got those powers, the one she aquired them from must be old and powerful. Prehaps older than I. I wonder why she is here. Why she is helping us. There must be more to her than she shows. She can't be more than fifteen, but her powers must rival that of the most experianced and spiritually-aware humans in the world, if not surpass them. There is something not quite right about that.'

'What is up with that girl?' Kuwabara's mind was whirling with the day's happenings, but this mysterious new-comer captivated his attention in its tight grip. 'How did she know about Yukina and her healing powers? When she came into the arena, her power seemed weak, but when I saw her heal Kurama it skyrocketed like an explosion from her fingers. And when she was done healing Urimeshi it looked like she didn't have any energy left, but when she left just now she seemed to be back to her normal level.' 

Hiei dozed, awaking at times to a night-time sound that was suspicious. 'Demons taking out their rage no doubt,' he thought, settling back and closing his eyes again. 'They were upset when we won.'

Finally, at about an hour before dawn, the fire-youkai awoke to a sound he could not place. He could not fall back asleep afterwards and so stared at the bright sky with the winking stars and brilliant moon. A stray cloud drifted over the orb, blocking out the light that had blanketed the island a cool white. When it dispursed, Hiei looked down to see Thorn walking back toward the hotel from the edge of the woods. 

'Hn, now why is she coming back?' he thought. The night had suddenly grown silent with the exception of light snores coming from his companion's rooms. Even the wind was silent, the air still and clear as he watched the girl walk through the doors and into the hotel. He strained his ears to hear her steps in the still building, but nothing came to his ears but a muffled murmer from one of his dreaming team-mates.

The door knob to the room turned, but the door did not open. There was a distinguishable noise that suggested that it was locked. Using the power of his Jagan Eye, Hiei looked past the door, wondering if he should open it for the girl. But there was no one on the other side of the door, just empty air, no hand on the knob. Nothing. Confused, he probed harder, but still his Jagan met with no living being.

"You shouldn't strain the Jagan Eye like that Hiei," came a soft whisper. Startled, the demon's hand flew to the hilt of his sword as he looked around the room. Thorn stood beside the door. "You might damage it."

"How did you get in here?" he asked, his stiff body slowly relaxing, but untrusting of the girl.

"Magic," she said. She stepped forward, the moon's rays chasing the shadows from her short, yet well-muscled body. She was smiling, but her expression was sleepy, as if she had just awoken from a deep slumber, although her eyes were sharp and keen. 

"Hn. Your answer for everything?"

"No. The truth," she said, laying on her stomach on the couch she had been on earlier, facing the window, her chin resting on her hands on the arm-rest. Her calf-high boots crossed behind her, one foot tapping absently in the air. She looked out the window, her bright green eyes watching as the east began to burn feverish colors. 

"Why did you help us?" Hiei asked after a few moments of silence, not tearing his gaze from the window, but watching her expression in the window's reflection. 

"No reason," she said, her features blank.

"Hn. Everyone has a reason for something," he retorted. She gave him a quizzical look.

"That's right. Do you have a reason for being so hostile? Wait, you don't have to answer that, I already know," she said her eyes meeting his in the reflection but for a moment before returning to the lightening sky. Hiei turned his head, glaring at her. But her eyes did not stray. 

"What do you mean by that?" he said bitterly. 

"Nothing," she said quietly. They said nothing for a moment and Hiei returned his gaze to the window. 

'She was just bluffing,' he thought to himself. 'Nothing more.' 

"I don't need to bluff. Everything I say is the truth," she said, bite in her voice. 

"Hn," was his answer, still not believing. They watched as the sun as it rose, its rays branding the room with golden-mango hued light. 

'Kurama will be up soon, I healed him the best and he should be awakening any moment. Hiei should have gotten more sleep in order to heal faster,' Thorn thought.

"I don't need to sleep. I am fully healed," Hiei said, making Thorn turn to look at him. 

"Hm, BlackFire must be tired if he did not ward off your intruding mind," she said, making the sword on her back hum groggily.

"BlackFire?" Hiei questioned. Thorn removed her sword from her back and waved it in the air slightly.

"Yes, BlackFire. I believe you two have already met." The sword buzzed in annoyance before she replaced him on her back. 

"You mean that your sword has a conscience? Its alive?"

"Yes. He's a bit like the sword that you stole from the Spirit World vault. Now what was it called? The Shadow Sword? Yes, well, anyway, BlackFire's a lot like that, only more intelligent and powerful." She stretched lazily. "His soul is bond to the sword, though, which makes him different." She got up and walked over to the door.

"Where are you going?" Hiei asked, but his voice lacked the spite that Yusuke had filled his question with. 

"Keonma should be walking up the stairs right now, and Kurama is about to get out of bed. I must go. It was nice having talked to you, Hiei," she said, her hand on the door. 

"Hn."

Thorn hesitated a moment, BlackFire sang suddenly in her ear. With a quiet curse, she removed her hand and turned back around. Hiei watched as her eyes wandered around the room.

"Yes, I know he's coming, quiet now, I'm thinking," she whispered to herself. She was talking to BlackFire, Hiei guessed. She walked into Hiei's empty room and the youkai heard the tell-tale sounds of an opening window and the shutting of it. He looked out the window and saw her float to the ground from tens of stories high in a graceful leap. His expression shed its unmovable wall to reveal a widening of eyes. He straightened to get a better look as she landed in a crouch. Flicking her hair over her shoulder she straightened and turned to look at the window in which Hiei sat in and smiled before her image flickered and dissapeared. Hiei searched, but not even his Jagan found the girl.

"What's the matter, Hiei?" Kurama asked, walking into the room. Hiei relaxed against the wall, his eyes still searching the hotel's surroundings.

"Nothing," he said simply.

'I've seen her "magic" now. I wonder why she showed it to me,' Hiei thought, not looking at Kurama. 

"Hm. So she came back?" Kurama asked, sitting on the couch that the girl had occupied not minutes before. 

"Yes."

"Did you talk to her?" Kurama prodded.

"Yes. Some."

Kurama didn't say anything a moment, but when he began his next question he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

'Must be Koenma,' Hiei thought as Kurama got up to answer the door. Sure enough, when the door opened, the prince stood in the door frame. He was tall, in his teenage form. 'I wonder why she avoided him.'

"Hello Kurama, Hiei," he said, nodding to each. 

"What's with all the noise?" Kuwabara asked, shambling out of his room with a yawn. 

By the time an hour had passed, Yusuke was up as well and the girls, consisting of Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, and Yukina, had come into the room. They talked of yesterday's match and how they couldn't wait to get back to their homes. Eventually, the subject turned to their newest member. Yusuke told Koenma how she had left the night before.

"Hm. There is something strange about her. I've been trying to research her under my files, but they've come up with nothing on any Thorn with such extreme healing powers," Koenma said, his face scrunched up in thought.

"It is very odd that you couldn't find anything on her. With all her power there must be something on her. People with that amount of energy just don't appear," Kurama said, risking a glance to Hiei, who did not look up to see it, even though he knew that it was aimed at him. He knew what the kitsune was asking. If he had gotten any worthy information from his conversation with her.

'The only thing I learned was that her sword's name is BlackFire and is alive. Hardly solid information,' Hiei thought. 

"That is true. And I wonder how she got into this world. None of the portal's memories say that anyone matching her discription passed into this world," Koenma said.

"Yeah, well I say don't worry about it. She's gone now, nothing to worry about," Yusuke said moodily, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back on the couch.

"I highly doubt that Yusuke," Kurama said, sipping his coffee. 

"I agree with Kurama. Especially since I recieved this," the prince said, holding up a sheet of paper. It was written in a beautiful flurish with a large signature on the bottom reading simply 'Thorn'. Along the paper's edge was two roses interwined, one a bright red while the other a dark and gloomy black. 

"A calling card?" Kuwabara asked, leaning forward to examine it. Botan took it from the ruler and examined it carefully.

"What does it say?" Keiko asked.

"It says 'I'm sure we will all meet again'," Botan said. Shizuru gently took it from the ferry, examined it and passed it to Yukina, who, in turn, passed it to Keiko. Yusuke took the card from her and read it himself. Kuwabara, in turn, took it from Yusuke and had it plucked from his hands by Kurama. After he had examined it, he lay it on the table, where Hiei picked it up to examine it. The image was drawn, not stamped as it appeared from a distance. It showed great artistic skill in both the drawing and the graceful signature. Hiei examined it closer, shifting it in the light. There. A glint on the paper. He turned it in the light again and the image reappeared. In between the tangled stems of the roses was the faint, glittery, silver, outline of a sword, much like, if not identical to, BlackFire. With a last glance, he put it back on the table.

"What do you think she means by that?" Kuwabara asked.

"It means exactly what it says you idiot," Yusuke said.

"Well how am I supposed to know if its not some kind of code or something? She seemed like the type to pull tricks if you ask me," the boy said, crossing his arms. 

'Hm, Kuwabara might be right. She acts like she could pull the wool over our eyes any minute and knows it,' Yusuke thought. 'She might be a lot more than I gave her credit for.'

Later that day, the gang returned to the human world to resume their lives. They mostly slept, still unrecoved from their fierce battle. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: FIVE REVIEWS!!!! YAY! Thank you all! Here's the next chapter ya wanted.

Animechick8: thank you! Here's your new chappy!

Squeakers: don't worry, I wont let Kuwabara hurt any more of my kitties! Or else I'll kill him, somehow get Sesshoumaru's Tensaiga (inuyasha's on tonight! Sesshy appears and uses his cool sword! Ekk!….sorry, lol) , bring him back to life, just to make him suffer! Well, he suffers enough in later chapters, so I guess that'll have to be good enough for now. -sighs dissapointingly- because I don't own him -sob-

Yuki-san 1: hey, n/p! thanks for the tip! It does look a lot better. Well, the next chappy is coming soon!

All right!

Keiko: J-chan?

J: hmm?

Keiko: I really want to have a bigger part. Pleasssssse, can I?

J: -sigh- I've told you before, Keiko, its too far off subject. Now, Shizuru gets a part later in the story, near the end.

Shizuru: cool.

J: ahh, yeah. But, anyway! Next chapter is exciting! -jabs Hiei as he starts to fall asleep-

Hiei: ahh, huh? Ahh, yeah, I agree with whatever J has to say. -yawn-

Yusuke: -giggle- hey! Giggling is for girls! I wanna chuckle!

J: but you don't chuckle! You giggle stupidly! Like some kinda…freaky…weird…person…thing.

All but Yusuke: o.o ahh, yeah. Right, sure.

J: -growl- fine, just put me down like that! At least I have my reviews who are positive.

Kuwabara: I wanna kitty.

J: -growl- dammit! If you want one so bad go get one! There's a pet store in every mall you can possibly find!

Kuwabara: -whine- I can't. Shizuru wont let me keep another one.

Shizuru: -nod- its true.

J: what happened to the first one? E-itchy or whatever.

Kuwabara: Its Eikichi!!!! Get it right!!

J: Fine, whatever. But when Yusuke comes over to your house to watch the video that Koenma sent you about the mission with Yukina, I didn't see her. Actually, I don't think I see her in any other eps. But the one that Yusuke comes back to life in. what ep was that? Five I think. Well, it doesn't matter. And just because Shizuru has the will to put up with you, she gets to do the disclaimer! ^.^

Yusuke: I thought it was a punishment….

J: only when I make it one! Today, its an honor!

Shizuru: J does not own YYH characters. She owns only Thorn and BlackFire. Now I'm going out for a smoke, behave, little brother. -leaves-


	6. Hiei's Secret Meeting

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Six: Hiei's Secret Meeting

Hiei jumped through the trees, running deeper into the forest. There was a familiar energy around the area that he was stalking. The energy was weak, like a human who was mildly spiritually-aware, nothing really worth exploring. But he was bored and had nothing to do and so decided to exploit it. He paused a moment, looking around slowly. He saw nothing and so continued on. There was a shallow creek to his right, and he went to it, the energy growing stronger as he approached. 

He dropped down by the shore, his feet soft as he landed on the moist earth. He looked up to see familiar dark brown locks riveting down a straight back, concealing a bluish glow beneath its thick curtain.

"Hello, Hiei. I'm surprised you would explore such a puny amount of energy," came a musical voice. 

"Hn. What are you doing here, Thorn?" Hiei asked, putting his hands in the deep pockets of his cloak. 

"Really, Hiei. That's like asking Koenma why he sits at his desk in the clouds. I live here in the human world, Hiei," the girl said, turning to reveal a smirk on her fine-featured face. She turned around from her sitting position on the ground. She stood up slowly, using a long staff to help bear her weight as she pushed herself to her feet. Hiei examined the weapon. It was crowned in a golden metal that glinted in the sun with a deadly shine. A crescent topped the strong wood, a four-pointed star connecting the points to the crescent, one arm of the star protruding like a sharpened dagger. Which was, no doubt, what she used it for, as sure as she used the crescent as a scythe. 

"Hn," he said, beginning to turn away. There was nothing here that concerned him. She was close, and her ability to walk so close to him without his knowing before this was not a good sign, but what she was doing here did not concern him. 

"Going so soon?" Thorn asked, straightening to reveal that her former clothes had disappeared. Her skirt had grown into long and supple leather pants that covered her boots, which she had not replaced. Her shirt's bottom had grown longer as well, covering her hard stomach, but the single strap remained, over her left shoulder, where one saw the sword's hilt resting. 

Hiei looked over his shoulder at her question, his face its normal, unreadable self. 

"Apparently you are especially bored with Kur- I mean, Shuichi, at school," she continued when he said nothing, looking up into the tree tops.

"It is no concern of yours," he said bluntly. Thorn shrugged slightly.

"No, it isn't. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to be a nice person and ask about it."

"Hn. Why would you be concerned with my problems?" Hiei asked, turned back around to face her. Thorn's eyes remained on the bright, cloudless sky as she spoke.

"I'm not concerned with them. I'm just trying to make peaceful conversation is all. Besides, I don't pry...unless it is especially needed," she said, watching as a breeze rustled the tree branches above them. 

"Good. Make sure you keep it at peaceful conversation."

"Or what?" she asked, her bright eyes finally lowering to level with his. He gave a meaningful glare, but said nothing. They stared at each other like that a long time before a startling buzz sounded from BlackFire. Thorn glanced backward at it before turning back to Hiei. She gave a small smile before her form flickered and disappeared. 

"You're magic is growing old," he said quietly before turning away. He could feel it too. Kurama was approaching steadily. Hiei began to walk back the way he had come.

"Hiei, I thought I felt you out here. Why are you out here?" Kurama asked.

"I grew bored was all," the youkai said.

"Hm, I see," the boy said as they made their way back into the city.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Yes, I know this chappy was short, but I put up two today to make up for it! -grin- OMG! I got TWO more reviews! Holy cow!

Hiei's1girl: Thank you so much for your reviews! Here's your next chappy! Glad you like the story. I'm so happy! ^_^ YAY! 

J: -sits in mutilated computer room- -humming-

Yusuke: -walks in- 0.0' what happened to your room?

J: oh, ahh, well we knocked down the wall between my room and the comp room and my comps disconnected, that's why I'm here!

All: oh

J: yeah, but now you guys have more room! -points to random chairs positioned around the room- so you can quit crowding all around me to watch me type.

Kurama: I take that offensively.

J: aww! Pwoor wittle Kuwama! Well, then you can sit in the chair next to me and help me finish this box of- -looks around- WHO TOOK MY COOKIES DAMMIT??!!

Yusuke: -hides package in an open box, holding valuable knick knaks. Tries desperately to whistle through mouthful of Oreos-

J: YUSUKE!

All but J and Yusuke: You've done it now, Yusuke! She's going to either -begins to list-

1. hit you really hard

2. Make you pay for more cookies (because she loves them very much)

3. Turn you into an idiot in her fanfic.

4. Etc…..-continues to list-

J: -thinking- hmm, I think I'll just lock in him into a room with….let's see, who does he really hate?

All: Torguro.

J: Yeah!! -pushes Yusuke to where her closet _used_ to be- crap. No closet. Well, I guess I'll have to deal with throwing you out the window. -shrugs- -opens window and chucks Yusuke out it-

Yusuke: AHHH!! -LOUD thump- Oawf!

All: -runs to window, looks down on grumbling Yusuke-

Botan: ahh, I'm confused. Wasn't he supposed to fall down and down?

J: whoops.

Hiei: you threw him out the wrong window, this one's hardly two feet from the ground.

J: ahh…I forgot?

Kuwabara: you've lived in this room for five years and you _forgot_? 

J: -growl- hey, I _meant_ to through him out _that _window…..because…….ahhh… he would land on the prickly evergreen bushes! -nods, happy with lie- yeah, that's it!

All: yeah, sure….

J: -grumble- fine, just for being stupid and ditzy, Botan, do the disclaimer. -walks away, grumbling-

Botan: Okay! -cheerleader voice- J-chan does not own any of us! She only owns Rose, Thorn, and BlackFire! Alright! C'mon everybody, cheer with me! 

All: I need aspirin… badly -searches everyone else's pockets, because their out- -realize they're all out-

0.0' J-CHAN!!!!!!! -runs after her-


	7. The New Mission and Kurama's Encounter

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Seven: The New Mission and Kurama's Encounter

"Yusuke!" came a cheery voice from the apartment kitchen. The boy sat up from his bed groggily.

"Botan, do you have any idea what time it is?" Yusuke asked, looking at his clock with blurry, sleep-laden eyes. 

"Of course!" the girl said, standing in his doorway. "Its almost eight in the morning! Oh Yusuke, you sleep way too much. C'mon! I have a new mission for you from Koenma!" She held up a video tape, waving in front of his face eagerly. "So let's go to Kuwabara's to check it out!"

Yusuke groaned and fell back on his bed. His hand went to cover his eyes as Botan burst open the curtains in his room, letting the light flood through. 

"Botan! I've been sleeping for less than a week after fighting in the Dark Turnamate and he already wants me go on another mission! Its only been five days!" he moaned.

"C'mon, Yusuke! It can't be that hard. He knows you need a rest and he wouldn't push you onto anything stressful so soon after your battle. Let's just go see what he has to say," the ferry said. "Now get dressed and call Kuwabara to tell him we're coming over," she said, walking into the living room to talk with Atsuko. Yusuke grumbled before finally tumbling out of bed. 

Half an hour later, Yusuke and Botan were walking to Kuwabara's house along the sidewalk. Kurama and Hiei joined them moments later. They were greeted at Kuwabara's house by Shizuru, who brought them up to her little brother's room. 

"So what's the mission about?" Kuwabara asked, placing the tape in his VCR. 

"How are we suppose to know? That's why we came here! To figure it out!" Yusuke said in an exasperated growl. He was clearly still upset about being woken from his slumber. 

"Well you don't have to get so touchy about it!" came the retort.

"Stupid human," Hiei said.

"What did you say, Shorty?" Kuwabara asked, turning toward the fire demon with a glare.

"You heard me," came the smug reply.

"Please, stop you two," Kurama intervined, stepping forward to come between the two insult-throwing boys. 

"Yeah, cut it out. Let's just watch the tape in peace," Botan said. Kuwabara grumbled something that no one heard as he pressed play on the VCR. 

Koenma appeared a moment later, sitting in his over-stuffed chair in his office. 

"Hello, all. Koenma here. I know that you are all still unrecovered from the battle in the Dark Turnamate, but this mission should not be difficult. A few demons passed through a portal into the human world and have been causing a lot of mischief. Most of it is innocent, stealing precious jewels from jewelry stores, nothing more. Yet. But if they become too confident I fear that they will resort to more violent crimes. Your job is to stop them. I don't have much information to give you on them other than there are five of them. They are lower-class demon's and shouldn't be any trouble for you. The western half of Spirit World is currently assigned on another, more urgent mission and so I am forced to assign you to this one. You will have to take a plane to America to take care of them. I want this mission delt with quickly, before it gets out of control and becomes more than it already is. You have one week before your flight leaves to take you to Los Vegas." The toddler explained all this calmly, his binky jerking as he spoke. The tape blanked out a few minutes later after the credits that consisted mostly of Koenma's name. 

"Hn. Sounds easy enough," Hiei said from his position standing next to the wall.

"Easy enough for you to say, you're fully recovered," Yusuke said as Kuwabara ejected the tape from the VCR. 

"So are you, Yusuke," Kurama said.

"Yeah, but I'm still tired. I'm going back home to get more sleep. Need to keep up on my beauty rest if I'm to preform at my peak!" he said with a grin as he walked out of the room.

"Yeah, better get strong, I don't want to have to save you because you didn't get enough sleep!" Kuwabara called after him.

"Who says that you're going?" Hiei asked in a grunt.

"Don't think you guy's are leaving me behind, Shrimp! I'm comin' along whether or not you like it!" Kuwabara shouted.

"Hn. Then you'd better stay out of the way and let the professionals deal with it," Hiei replied as he left. "Its bad enough Kurama and I have to babysit you constantly without you messing things up."

"Hey!-" the carrot-top began, but the demon was gone and he knew it was a futile effort. "Stupid...I'm just as good..." he grumbled.

"Don't worry, Kuwabara. We wont leave you behind," Kurama said with a small chuckle as he too left. It was very amusing to watch those two argue. And to think that one day they could be inlaws.

Kurama walked down the street, his hands in his pockets and his stride cheerful. Suddenly, about half a block down the street, the feeling hit him, as if an explosion had just errupted behind him. He was in a large crowd of people when his pace slackened considerably, and his green eyes were suddenly keen to the people around him. There was a power near by. And it was very strong. His eyes shifted in hope of catching a movement of the one who was stalking him. He took a sudden left, into a dark alley. He walked along, his pace confident. At the end of the alley he took a right behind a large building. He could feel the energy following him, but keeping a safe distance away. He stopped suddenly, his chin high.

"Do you always stalk people without their knowing?" he asked, not turning to look around. A quiet chuckle came from the shadows.

"Well I was quite sure that you knew I was following you." The voice's owner walked from the shadows behind the kitsune. Kurama gave a short, quiet laugh.

"Hm, well I guess I did," Kurama replied. He turned around to face the girl. "Why were you following me, Thorn?"

"No real reason. I was just wonder how long it took you to realize I was there," Thorn said with a shrug. 

"And was your wonder satisfied?" he asked with a small smile.

"Yes."

'This is not a good thing. She followed me for nearly an entire street block without my knowing. She could easily have been an enemy and caught me off guard. Again, I get the impression that she possess ancient powers. I wonder if she uses them just for healing, or prehaps for other uses...' Kurama thought.

"Is this what you meant by meeting us again?" he asked.

"Well, not really. I've hardly met the group again. But I must give you credit. I knew you were perceptive, but your intelect is amazing," the girl replied, stepping from the rest of the shadows, her boots soft on the concrete, her elongated shirt flirting with the top of her pants.

"Thank you," Kurama said, his tone calm and low.

"Hm, you're welcome. Well, I've found out all I've come to discover. I'll be seeing you again soon," she said, turning and waving over her shoulder.

'I'm sure you will. And it should be an interesting meeting if it even remotely similar to this one,' he thought as he watched her melt back into the shadows. Her energy signature dissapeared with her image.

'Oh, it will Kurama,' Thorn thought to herself silently. 'It will.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Okay, here's the second chapter I promised, because six was so short. Enjoy!

Yusuke: -groans, picks tree needles from hair and clothes- stupid trees.

J: don't make me throw you out the tall window!

Yusuke: -stupid grin, waves hands in surrender- no no! that's okay!

J: -growl- good, now, go out and buy me more cookies. 

Yusuke: -grumbles- okay, fine. Damn cookies….

J: -sigh- good, now that he's out of the way I can concentrate. Hmm, so howja like this chapter? Okay? Yeah, well the next one I make fun of Yusuke and Kuwabara and make Botan a total ditz.

Kuwabara: hey! Why make me an idiot?

Hiei: you can't change what is…..-grunt-

Kuwabara: hey! Take that back, shorty!

J: -growl- cut it out. But Hiei's right -Kuwabara fumes- and its your stupid insistance on honor and kittens….

Kurama: I don't think it is wise to give away the next chapter. 

J: oh, yeah, huh? Well, then you'll just have to wait! Hmm I ask for one review for the past two chapters and I'll get the next up ASAP as soon as I see the review! Just because it makes me type, copy/paste, rewrite faster. Thanks! And for being such a good reminder person Kurama, I give you and Hiei the _honor_ of doing the disclaimer.

Kurama: -nods- I'd be honored.

Hiei: -grunt- sure

Kuwabara: -grumble- suck-up -glare from J- -innocent grin-

Kurama: J-chan does not own anyone from Yu Yu Hakusho.

Hiei: But she owns Thorn and BlackFire

J: review please! -Yusuke walks in- COOKIES! -attacks bag-


	8. The New Mission Begins

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Eight: The New Mission Begins

The boys exited the plane with sleep and sickness contorting their worn faces. Even Botan lacked her usual chipper. They picked up their luggage and left the airport to settle into their hotel rooms. 

"Agg, I think I'm going to be sick. The turbulence was awful," Yusuke complained once they had arrived in their rooms. They were large and comfortable, and expensive from the look of it.

"Yeah, I'm with Urimeshi, the ride was definitely messed up," Kuwabara piped up.

"Shut-up, it wasn't that bad," Hiei said, tired of hearing their whining.

"Easy for you to say, Shrimp, you've probably spent half your life in the air the way you run around," Kuwabara quipped, receiving a glare from Hiei.

"Let's stay focused, boys. We should start tomorrow in finding those demon thieves," Botan said from the doorway. "Until then we should all get some rest. G'night!" she said, and waved.

"How come she gets her own room and we don't?" Kuwabara asked as they walked into their room.

"Because she's a girl you idiot," Yusuke grumbled as he unpacked his suitcase. 

"Yeah, but still, I think we all should get our own rooms," he said, giving a sideways glance to Hiei.

"Hn. I wouldn't think of wasting my energy on you, baka, so don't give me that look. I'll put it to better use by putting those five demon's out of their misery while you sit back and watch," Hiei said smugly. 

"Oh yeah?" Kuwabara asked, a challenge in his voice. Yusuke and Kurama looked at each other and sighed, shaking their heads.

Hiei just smirked at the boy, who stomped off, fuming. 

"Hiei, you really should try to get along with Kuwabara," Kurama said as Yusuke left the room to go look for a place to eat.

"Hn."

Kurama sighed and shook his head as he finished unpacking.

"Hey! There's a place a few blocks from here! I figured that we could walk instead of calling a cab, its not that far," Yusuke said from the main room, picking up a list of close diners, restaurants, and coffee shops that the hotel had kindly put out. 

"As long as they have pizza! I hear that everyone eats it here and its a lot better than anything we could find," came Kuwabara's voice from the next room.

"Ahh, I think they have pizza," Yusuke said, looking at the paper again to search for a menu. He found none.

"So what's this place called?" Kurama asked, emerging from the bedroom.

"Hooters," Yusuke said with a grin. 

"Hooters?! Hey, I've heard of that place. Yusuke, you bastard! You can't go off cheating on Keiko like that!" Kuwabara said, storming in from the other room and grabbing Yusuke's shirt collar.

"Hey! Its just a restaurant!" Yusuke said with a stupid grin, holding up the list for everyone to see. "See, look."

Kuwabara let go of the other boy's shirt collar and ripped the paper from his hands. Sure enough, there was a 'family restaurant' called Hooters. 

"Yeah, well we're not going," Kuwabara said stubbornly, scanning down the page. "We'll go here, to this place called 'July'. It sounds like it has pizza and if ya look at the map, it doesn't look to far away."

"Fine, then its settled. I'll go get Botan and we'll leave," Kurama said, trying to hide a smile.

"This should be interesting," Hiei said at the prospect of going out to eat with the other three. "By the time the meal's over they're bound to ban us from ever coming to this country again." He gave a small smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

__

Me no own Hooters or July (even though I just made July up, its not a real restaurant) I don't even know if there is a Hooters in Los Vegas.

Authoress' Note: -sigh- well! Done with that one! Its longer than some of my other chapters. Well, there's Kuwabara's 'honor' thing I told you about. Making him a funny fool.

Kuwabara: Hey!

Yusuke: Aw! Why didn't you let me go to Hooters? I love that place! -pout-

J: -nods- I agree, that place kicks, their ham and cheese subs/sandwiches kick major butt. But I needed some comic relief in there before everything gets serious. But more stupidness is to unfold! Promise! Next chapter! Then Kuwabara gets them into trouble……-grumble- boy and his kitten obession…

Kuwabara: Hey! Quit making me sound so dumb!

Hiei: she can't change what you are… baka ningen. 

Kuwabara: -fume- take that back!

J: quit quoting yourself from the story! You're stealing what I made you say! -growl-

Kuwabara: -shrinks back into corner-

Yusuke: haha! Finally I'm not getting pounded on! -rubs jaw, where J 'accidentally' socked him, grabbing for cookies-

Kurama: I wouldn't say anything Yusuke or she might become angry.

Hiei: yes, I agree with Kurama, especially since you stole her cookies.

J: -growl- that's right! So you'd better just shut up and sit in that corner before I throw you out a large window about four stories from the ground!

Kurama: is that stories as in floors or in written pages of your unfinished, as well as finished novels and fan fictions?

J: -thinks a moment- which would be taller?

All but Yusuke: written pages of stories. -nods, agreeing-

J: then its settled! So don't tick me off again Yusuke!

Yusuke: -huddles in corner of room in small chair, trying to look tiny and helpless-

Hiei: -scoff- anyway, we have received more reviews, aren't you going to answer them? -nods toward two letters-

J: oh yeah! Almost forgot! Here Hiei, have a cookie for being such a good….well, review reminder…person. -offers a cookie-

Hiei: I'll pass, Oreos just aren't my thing.

J: -sigh- I'd give you chocolate but…..well, we all know what happened last time…

All but Hiei: 0.0' oh yeah…..

Kurama: -explination- read J's other fic: Hiei and Chocolate….it will explain a lot..

J: _any_way….reviewers! THANK YOU! 

Hiei's1girl: thank you for the aspirin! -everyone grabs bottle eagerly, popping in tablets- 

Shizuru: ooooo! The fast-acting, super strong stuff! My favorite…-eats three-

J: here's your review! -grin-

Yuki_san1: lol! Here ya go! A new chappy!

J: -yawn- I think I'm going to turn in. How about one review for this chapter? Hai? Hai! Yusuke, for being such a dolt, you have to do the disclaimer. And this time it's a punishment!

Yusuke: -groan- J-chan does not own YYH comp. She owns only Thorn and BlackFire as well as July….hmm, food….

All: -groan- great…now we have to _feed_ him. -eats more aspirin-


	9. The Walk and the White Wolf

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

****

Chapter 9: A Walk and the White Wolf

"How long have we been walking?" Yusuke whined.

"About a day and a half," Kuwabara said tiredly.

"I told you we should have gone to Hooters! We wouldn't have passed that stupid pet store and we wouldn't have gotten lost!" Yusuke complained.

"Hey! I just wanted to go in to look at the kittens!" Kuwabara shot back.

"Yeah well if you hadn't of picked that one up then the guy would have never thought you were stealing it and wouldn't have kicked us out! So its your fault!" Yusuke yelled back.

"Cut it out you two! We're lost now, so lets just try to find a way back to the hotel and order food there," Botan said, stepping between the two boys.

"If we're lost how do you think we're gunna get back?" Yusuke sneered. 

"Ah, good point," the girl said. 

"Ah, guys. I just got the feeling that there's something following us," Kuwabara said. He froze in mid-step, thinking. They all turned around and looked, but saw nothing but a dark, empty, sidewalk.

"Your feeling things, Kuwabara. There's nothing behind us," Yusuke said after scanning the area carefully.

"No way, there is definitely something there. The feeling's getting stronger," the other boy argued.

"C'mon, let's see if it still follows us when we cut into this alley," Yusuke said quietly, turning around casually and walking forward, the rest of the group following. Hiei and Kurama exchanged glances. 

'Kuwabara's right, there is just a faint signal behind us,' Kurama thought as they walked into the shadowed alley, the deep shadows engulfing them. 

"Its still behind us, on the other side of this building," Kuwabara said, motioning to the structure to his left. 

"They must be in the alley on that side," Botan said.

"We should go find out who it is," Yusuke said, starting for the end of the alley, where there was another hall behind the building to his left between that one and another building behind it. 

"Don't be a fool, Yusuke," Hiei said, making the spirit detective stop and turn around, looking at him quizzically. 

"Yes, I agree with Hiei, for all we know, it could be one of the five demon thieves that we're suppose to be finding," Botan said.

"Well we should at least check it out," Kuwabara said, stepping forward.

"Save your breath Kurama, you can't argue with an idiot," Hiei said when Kurama began to speak. The kitsune took his advice and remained silent. "Fine, let's go."

The group began to walk toward the wider alley at the end of their own. 

"They're right to our left behind this building," Kuwabara whispered as they drew closer. Yusuke risked a glance around the side of the building. 

"So who is it?" Botan asked. Yusuke walked out from the protecting edge of the building. 

"There's no one here," he said. He was answered with confused 'huh?'s from the group. They all walked out into the middle of the alley. Their eyes scanned over garbage-laden trash cans and a dirty ground, littered with garbage. Mice scampered around the cans, squeaking in a fury. A sleek, white, wolfish dog sniffed at the building wall. It looked up curiously when it saw them, pointed white ears erect and listening, its bright eyes turning toward them. 

"So now you're sensitive to the energy of mice? C'mon, this is totally lame," Yusuke said. Kurama looked at Kuwabara, who's expression of confusion explained his train of thought. 

"I don't get it, I could have sworn that they were right here," the boy mumbled. "And it still feels like it too."

"This is stupid, lets go, I'm starving," Yusuke said, walking down the isle. The white dog's bright green eyes looked up at him and the jaw split in what one could swear was a grin. 

"Kuwabara is right, Yusuke," Kurama said, stepping forward. 

"Huh?" the Spirit Detective asked, turning to face him. He took another quick glance around, but still found nothing.

"They are right here, they're just hiding," Kurama explained. 

The white dog turned to face the kitsune, a black marking on its forehead creeping from the shadows. It growled once, soft, yet deadly. The group turned to look at it as its shape slowly molded from the wolfish body to that of a girl. 

"I'm not hiding," came a growling voice from the body. Thorn strode from the shadows, right hand on hip and her eyes glaring. They all looked at her, not understanding the strange language she was speaking and in shock as to what they had witnessed.

"Ah! Its Thorn!" Kuwabara said in shock. 

"Kuwabara, she's speaking English, use the little purple thing Koenma gave you if you want her to understand you," Botan explained. They all took out a small purple box and opened it. Powder burst from it and covered them and suddenly they clearly understood what she had said.

'I was right when I thought that Thorn might use her powers for other things than healing,' Kurama thought after a moment recollecting himself. 'Its an extremely rare demon that can shape-shift. I've never heard of a human that could do it.'

"Hey! Where'd you come from?" Yusuke asked in the newly-learned English language, clearly taken back by the girl's sudden appearance. 

"You know, Yusuke, you should trust Kuwabara when it comes to sensing energy. He was quite accurate in his analysis of where I was," Thorn said, the newly risen moon shinning softly on her long black pants and shirt. 

"I asked you where you came from!" he retorted, dripping his voice with a touch of anger. 

"Must you ask such stupid questions when you have the facts in front of you?" she asked, rolling her eyes, her voice harsh. 

"What are you doing here?" Hiei asked.

"It seems everyone is asking me that question as of late. Well, nothing really. Working on my stalking skills mostly. You know that you've been walking in circles for the past two hours don't you?" she replied with a smile. 

'She's been following us for that long? Then why didn't I sense her?' Kuwabara thought. 

"N-no. But its none of your business!" Yusuke shouted. 

"You've been looking for a place to eat, I've observed. I could hear your stomach's rumbling from five hundred feet behind you with those ears," she said. "There's a restaurant down the street one block to your left and your hotel is six blocks after the first left at the crossroads."

'She's good. She was very close and we never even knew. Her powers must be very strong,' Kurama thought. 

"Well we don't need your help," Yusuke spat. 

"Hn, suit yourself."

"Tell me, Thorn," Kurama began. "What brings you to America?"

"A seemingly innocent question, dearest Kurama. I know what you're getting at, but I see no harm in telling you that I belong here just like you boys belong in Japan. I loved Japan, but home is were the heart is," Thorn replied with a sly grin. "And it seems that my heart likes it better at home."

"So you live in America?" Botan asked. The other girl turned to her.

"That is what I'm driving at. I might not live here in Los Vegas, but that doesn't matter much."

"Why are you following us?" Kurama asked. The black-clad girl turned to him with a smile. 

"Oh, you know, just for kicks. I know that if anyone felt my energy, it would be Kuwabara," she said, nodding toward the bright-haired boy. "A perfect way to hone my skills, don't you think? I would have continued, but watching you walk in big circles made me dizzy and the sound of hunger knawing in your stomachs made me pity you." 

"We don't need your pity," Hiei said quietly, his hands deep in his pockets, his voice soft. The girl snorted. 

"No one really needs it, Hiei, but most like to hear that you care, even if you don't. I was brought up being if just a little polite, and its a habit I have yet to shake. I, personally, hate being pitied as well, but sometimes is just the right thing to say." Thorn stopped a moment, letting her grinding words sink into the silent group. She stood there a moment before snorting and turning around on her heel, her sword bright with a song that it sang in her ear. "I'm sure this won't be the last time we meet in this city," she said as she walked back into the deepening shadows of the night. 

"Hn," Hiei commented was he watched her leave before turning around himself. 

"Well that was interesting," Botan said. Kurama gave a small smile as he moved to follow Hiei. 

'Hiei's met his match when it comes to a quick tongue,' the kitsune mused, listening as Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Botan began to follow them. 'He's never been left without a rash comment after being spoken to like that before. Truly, it was amusing.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: hello all! Aww, no reviews? Well that sucks. Maybe more for this chapter, hai?? 

Yusuke: why are you so insistent on reviews?

J: -bash-

Yusuke: @.@ gaa…..

J: They make me feel good! Geez! Why do I need a frickin' reason? I LIKE HEARING PEOPLE'S COMMENTS! -huff-

Kuwabara: -chuckle- haha Urimeshi!

J: -glare. Don't start dolt. I thought I put you through enough hell, but apparently not! 

Kuwabara: -cower-

Kurama: perhaps, if you updated more frequently…?

J: -sniffle- I know and I'm _so_ sorry! Life's been hectic! I'll try to update more often. Although, I must admit, reviews really _do_ make me update sooner. If I get enough reviews I'll update in just a couple days! Okay! I'll try to make up for it…somehow. Lol. Okay! Let's get this show on the road. Disclaimer. Hmm, who to torture?! I pick……Hiei!

Hiei: -groan- damn.

J: ^_^

Hiei: J-san does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, although all original plots and characters ex: BlackFire, Thorn, etc. are hers to claim.

Please review! ^_^ 


	10. The Jewel of Greed and Kuramas Discovery

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Ten: The Battle for the Jewel of Greed and Kurama's Discovery

****

"Are you sure they're around here, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah. Five demons. Their energy isn't much. It shouldn't be too hard," Kuwabara replied smugly. 

"There is a diamond store down the street a block or two. Its called Newport's Diamonds," Botan said, looking at a list of all the jewelry stores she could find and their address.

"Well lets go check out the store then. They might be scoping it out for their next big steal," Yusuke said. 

The sun was drooping low in the sky as they began to make their way down the street. Some stores had begun to close shop for the day. When they finally stood at the store's entrance they found themselves too late. 

"Botan! Why didn't you check to see if it closed before we got there! Well, this is just great," Yusuke said, crossing his arms with a huff. 

"The energy signal is still around here, Urimeshi. And its getting stronger," Kuwabara said. The street was eerily quiet. They were on the outskirts of the major city, and few people seemed to be around as the stores began to close up. 

"Maybe they're around back," Yusuke said, running quietly down the alley next to the building with the rest behind him. They turned the corner. Nothing. 

"Man, this is strange," Yusuke said. A sudden shattering of glass from the front of the building caught their attention. They all ran around in front to see glass strewn all over the street and on the carpet in the jewelry store. Five figures were greedily scooping up jewels from a shattered display case into large, burlap, sacks. 

"There they are!" Botan said, pointing. 

"Stay here, Botan," Yusuke said as they all ran in to 'greet' the theives. The five figures looked up, looking like normal humans.

"We have visitors," hissed a large male to a shapy woman. They all turned to face them, their posture saying they debated on fleeing or fighting. 

"Drop the bags," Yusuke said, his voice full of authority. The woman smiled and took a step forward. Yusuke raised his aim, pointing his finger at the dark-haired woman as it slowly began to glow. "I'm warning you."

"And I am warning you. Leave if you hold your life to any value," the woman said, her voice bold with warning. 

"Don't let her freak you out, Urimeshi. She hardly has any spirit energy," Kuwabara said, stepping forward to stand directly behind the detective. 

"You should never underestimate the enemy." From the store's ceiling dropped a black and tan blur, in hand a long wooden staff topped by a bright metal that reflected the sun's retreating rays. The black-haired woman below the figure dropped the bag and brought up a spiked mace just in time to ward off the attack from above. The mysterious streak's staff meet with the mace and it pushed off it as the figure spun around and landed in a crouch on the glass-covered carpet. The girl's eyes were intent upon her opponent's as her dark brown hair settled over her back, the tie that bound it at the base of her neck taming its wild locks. The tresses lay flat on her back down past the top of her short skirt, revealing her large broadsword. 

"Thorn! What the hell are you doing here?" Yusuke shouted. The girl did not turn as she watched the five hidden demons. 

"Unless you have forgotten how to count, there are five demons here, and only four of you. You are underestimating their power already. I would have thought you would have used my distraction to your advantage and attack. Not a good start, Yusuke," Thorn said. He growled under his breath.

"I'm sick of this happy little reunion," said the seeming leader, who held her mace up to oppose the staff-welding girl. She charged, her black-haired human disguise ripping away as she slashed. Her baby-blue skin was smooth and her wild, black-streaked, silver hair streamed out behind her in its high pony-tail. 

The rest of the thieves attacked as well, shedding their male, human disguises from their demon bodies. 

"We'll kill you!" cried one of them as the four attacked the spirit detective and his group. Yusuke gritted his teeth and took aim with his spirit gun, but the demon that attacked him was fast and easily dodged whenever the boy got him in his aim. He drew a sword and rushed in periodically to land a blow on the detective.

"Stupid..." Yusuke grumbled.

"Spirit sword!" Kuwabara yelled. His serpent-like opponent hissed as it drew four daggers. It threw them at the boy, skinning both shoulders with their blades. 

"Rose Whip!" Kurama drew his weapon as a red-skinned demon charged with a deadly ax. He slashed at the demon, his whip reaching out to fend off the ax in the demon's hand. 

"Take this!" Hiei growled as he slashed a green-skinned demon with his sword. The demon jumped backward just as the blade sliced through his tough hide, drawing blood. The one-eyed, green, youkai cursed and held up his hand, from which burst a startling beam of energy. Gritting his teeth, Hiei dodged it and went in for another strike. 

The battles continued, neither side gaining the advantage. 

'Thorn was right, they're a lot more powerful than I thought,' Yusuke thought as he dodged his opponent's sword. 

'This is proving much more difficult than we anticipated,' Kurama thought, using his great agility to avoid the demon's swinging ax. 

'That's it, I'm tired of playing around,' Hiei thought. Dodging yet another energy blast, the fire youkai bolted under his enemy and slashed upward, gutting the demon with his sword's sharp blade. A dark red power flowed from the dead demon as blood spewed onto the carpet, streaming upward before flashing and being absorbed by Thorn's opponent, who's speed seemed to increase with it. 

Thorn was dodging the demoness' mace with ease and grace, although her speed as hardly what anyone would call impressive. She seemed to avoid the attacks more by luck than anything, moving at the last minute to dodge a hit. 

"Okay, I'm sick of this," Yusuke said angrily. With a quick, hard punch, he bashed his opponent into the wall. Taking aim before the swift demon escaped, he fired off a shot of his spirit gun. 

"Whew, he was fast," Yusuke said. He turned to watch as Kuwabara and Kurama finished their fight and did not notice the small red orb of energy as it zoomed past the fighters and into the mace-swinging demoness. 

'Kurama is taking too much time to study this weak link. Just kill him,' Hiei thought, his eyes darting from each of the remaining three fighters. 

As if hearing the fire demon's thoughts, Kurama's Rose Whip plunged deep into the red-skinned demon's belly. The youkai fell to the ground, his breath ragged before stopping completely. 

'What is that?' both Kurama and Yusuke thought as they saw a misty red substance drain from the corpse and flit through the air to be absorbed by Thorn's enraged enemy. 

"Agg!" Kuwabara yelped as he was thrown against the cash register with a painful-sounding 'chink' as change bounced in its holders. 

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled, clenching his fists.

"Shut-up, Urimeshi, I'm trying to think," the boy said. Finally, he brought his Spirit Sword up into a offensive position. "Spirit Sword, get longer!" he yelled as his sword elongated. Caught off guard, the demon had no time to react as the sword literally tore him in two. "Ha! No problem," he said between panting breath. Trying to dodge all the daggers had been difficult. 

"There is still one more fight," Kurama said, turning toward Thorn and the mysterious leader of the thieves. 

"Hey! What happened to the blue girl's power?" Kuwabara asked, his expression amazed.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked.

"Her power! Its like, big! You mean you can't see it? She's glowing like a red light-bulb!"

Thorn dodged another swing of the mace, the closest spike nearly brushing her exposed stomach. 

"Fool. She's playing around," Hiei said, watching as the blood-red eyes of the demon lit up a brighter scarlet and Thorn's nearly unnoticeable smile widening. 

"What do you mean, Hiei?" Botan asked, running in the store as she watched Kuwabara end his fight.

"Botan! I told you to wait outside!" Yusuke shouted. 

"I mean that, if you look, Thorn seems to be enjoying herself more than anything, she's not even trying to finish her off," Hiei explained as they ignored Yusuke. They all looked up to see Thorn sweeping her crested half of her staff by the youkai's throat, but the other's speed made her miss her mark, slicing ruggedly through the armor on her shoulder. The girl's face turned grim suddenly as she landed on the wall, sticking like a fly. She paused a moment, her expression hinting deep thought. With a powerful thrust of her legs she flew toward. 

"Black Dragon Claws!" she cried, her right hand glowing bright sapphire, mingled with rippling black streaks. With a lightening quick swipe of her hand, she tore through the thick armor easily and put a gaping hole in the demoness' chest. 

She landed easily on her feet behind the wide-eyed leader. With one last gasp, she fell to her knees, dropping her mace. Thorn looked behind her, watching as she twisted to land on her back. She sneered. 

"Yes, I am well aware that it could have been neater, no need to tell me that," she said to a vibrantly humming sword. She looked forward, into the wide and shocked stares of the group. 

"That was amazing," Kurama said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You wouldn't have. Its a personal recipe of my trainers'," Thorn said. "And he and I are the only ones who know it."

"But I don't get it, how can normal spirit energy kill someone without hardly touching them?" Kuwabara asked. They all looked at him. 

"What do you mean, Kuwabara?" Botan asked.

"Well, it was slow enough so that I could see that even before her hand, or even her spirit energy touched the demon lady, all that energy that she was giving off just disappeared, like she was already dead." Thorn gave the smallest of chuckles.

"Well, ah, yes, its the air waves that the energy was giving off that killed her, not the actual strike," Thorn explained with a smile. "Its much cleaner if I use it that way."

"I've never heard of anything like it," Yusuke said. 

"Hn. It relates to the Darkness Flame attacks, doesn't it?" Hiei asked, fully recovered from the shock. Thorn turned her green gaze toward him. 

She hesitated a moment before saying, "That information is confidential."

"Yeah, well, it figures," Yusuke said. 

"Wait, I wanna know why the demon lady was glowing like that," Kuwabara said. Thorn looked up at him before recognition glinted in her eyes.

"I can answer that," she said, turning to face the body. "They were all glowing, as you say. But she held most of the energy, of which she supplied to the others when they needed it." Thorn placed her hand on the corpse's chest, her hand glowing faintly. After a moment she stood up and turned around, revealing a large jewel. It was ruby red, and when it moved, it looked as if the center was made of a cardinal liquid. Like blood. 

"I know that you all saw the energy coming from the other demons after they died and then become absorbed by her. This was the thing that gave them all their powers. I was told, by an extremely old and reliable source, that this jewel, the Jewel of Greed, imbeds itself in a body and resumes to control it with its power. In this case, the demon I was fighting. It drives its host into a greedy lust, making it kill, steal, basically driving it to do enjoyable evil deeds. It improves their speed, strength, endurance, you name it. It must have fused its powers with the other four and so when they died the power came back to the body it occupied, making it stronger."

"Is that why you waited?" Hiei asked. Thorn looked at him curiously before giving a grunting in agreement. 

"That's right. I like to kill knowing that they were giving it their all. Its good you killed the rest quickly, or I would have had to make her suffer."

"You mean you really were just playing around?" Yusuke asked. She turned her smirk to him. 

"I never said that. I wasn't playing. I was just holding back was all. Really, that's about as fast as I go!" she said with a smile and a laugh. Yusuke, Botan and Kuwabara did an anime fall. Hiei closed his eyes and smiled.

"Hey! Its not my fault," she grumbled as they began to rise. "I'm just not that fast."

"You have a lot of talent, Thorn," Kurama said. She looked at him wearily, like a cat unsure of a dog. Or a fox.

"No need to tell me that, Kurama. What I lack in speed I make up for in talent." Kurama smiled. 

"Tell me, how long have you been training?" the kitsune asked. Thorn crossed her arms, still holding the jewel firmly in her right hand. 

"Why?" 

"Oh, just curious."

"About four months or so," she said almost sulkily in her dark voice. Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara did another anime fall while Kurama stumbled (like half an anime fall).

"WHAT?!" Yusuke screamed. Thorn suddenly straightened, her sword buzzing nervously. 

"Time to go. Cops are coming to investigate," the girl said. She tossed Kurama the Jewel of Greed before turning around to face the dead demons. "Better clean up the mess." Her sword gave a long hum as she nodded. 

"You'd all better get back to the hotel, I can do this," Thorn said as she went over to the first demon, the one Hiei had been fighting, and knelt down next to it.

"But-" Botan began. 

"No, don't ask me any questions right now. Perhaps I'll meet you back in your hotel and we can talk there," she said, her hands an inch above the body. "Hurry up, the police will be here any minute."

"Let's go," Hiei said, his step making the glass underfoot to crack and break under his feet as he made his way out the front of the building. The others followed. Kurama held back a moment, his thoughts wild and confused as he watched from outside the building. 

"Keep watch," she whispered, her sword hummed. Her hands began to radiate a fiery red over the body. There was a crackling sound that resembled that of burning fire and then a small puff of smoke. The demon had been disintegrated.

"Kurama, I told you all to leave," Thorn said, her tone dark and forbidding. Kurama turned away and walked swiftly to catch up with the rest of the group. 

'I know that attack. I had seen it when I was still Youko. She literally burnt the body from the inside out. There is only one creature that could do that attack. But he couldn't still be alive,' Kurama thought, his eyes wide as he went over the way the attack had been preformed. 

"What's the matter with Kurama?" Yusuke asked, noticing the look in his eyes. 

"I don't know, Urimeshi. But he looks like he just saw a ghost," Kuwabara replied. 

"Uh oh. Boys, I think we have a problem. Cops coming from both directions," Botan said nervously.

"C'mon, in the alley," Yusuke said as they ducked in, hoping the police didn't see them. 

"They will find us if we stay here. Let's keep moving," Hiei said walking back toward the hotel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Yay! Another chapter complete! Thanks for baring with me here, I've been trying to finish my other, Inuyasha fic. Its not as good as this one, I will admit, but there's another story (just a one-shot) that I wanted to post ASAP and told myself that until I finished the other one, I couldn't post _that_ one. But, just to give ya'll a sneak pre-view (although I'll prob. Post it at the same time as this chapter) it's a sad short story about Hiei and….well…his thoughts on…complications….in his life. ^_^ sorry, that's all, I don't want to give it away! It's Hiei's story after all!

Hiei: damn straight. I wrote it. Its mine.

J: -sigh- you're so difficult!

Hiei: hn.

J: -rolls eyes- whatever.

All but J&Hiei: -chuckle-

Botan: -waves letters in hand- look J-chan! REVIEWS!

All: yes! Finally, she wont torture us this chapter! -high-fives all around-

J: -glare- quiet you barbarians. Except for Kurama and Hiei of course.

Kurama&Hiei: -superior grin-

J: -shakes head- -sigh- wateva. Anyway! Reviews! From:

Hiei's1girl - glad you like my story! I'll update again soon, hopefully before next week, school work, barn chores, and work permitting! Thank you again for you're support!

RoseWhip of the Darkness Flame - -sniffle- I'm so happy to hear that you like my story! Not to mention you said it's the only one you really liked? -sniffle- that's so heart-warming! Thank you so much! -tilts head- I don't except non-signed reviews?! Oh no! I'll get right on changing that, PRONTO! (is that Spanish, anyone? I know, total tangent there…) -giggle- no, its not a K/T fic. Foxy remains a bachelor… for now -evil snicker-

Kurama: -gulp- _I don't like the sound of that…_

Lol. Anyway. It is NOT A HIEIxKURAMA fic! I despise those! Actually, I don't really like yaoi ANYTHIME. EVER. I mean, not that I don't respect those who see them that way, I just _don't_, plain and simple. I read FAQs on a site and they asked FUNdimation and other people if they did. They said NO. so there's your answer ^_^. I'll update soon! 

Thanks again to both of you!


	11. Kurama's Offer

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Eleven: Kurama's Offer

Kuwabara sighed. "I thought she said she was going to be here."

"She will," Hiei said, sitting in his usual spot on a window sill.

"How do you know?" Kuwabara asked with a small growl. 

"Because she's standing in the doorway," he said. They all looked around to see just that. Thorn was standing in the doorway to one of the bedrooms, back in her long pants and shirt. 

"I was waiting for you to tell them I was here," she said, stepping forward. She took a seat in an armchair after leaning her sword against it, facing the window Hiei was sitting in. 

"How long were you waiting there?" Kurama asked. 

"Hey look! Fox Boy snapped out of his silent spell!" Yusuke said with a laugh.

"Long enough," she said, relaxing in the chair and crossing her legs as her eyes closed. Her shoulders slumped slightly, her arms resting on the armrests as she sighed. She opened her eyes and saw them looking at her expectantly. "I was making sure that the police didn't think it was anything more than another robbery," she said to their unspoken question.

"What did you do with the demons?" Botan asked. 

"They've been taken care of," was her reply. 

"Tell me Thorn, who is your trainer?" Kurama asked after a moment of silence. Thorn jerked her head in his direction, but he was sipping coffee and she could not hold his gaze. 

"I have no real trainer. Just this voice in my head," she joked. "Besides, my trainer is no longer one with his body." Her face turned serious.

"You mean he's dead?" Botan asked. Thorn did not answer. "Oh, I'm sorry, it must have been an awful experience, him leaving so soon after you started your training. I'm sorry." Thorn's expression darkened. 

'There is nothing I hate more than pity,' she thought hotly. 

Kurama nodded. 'So the legend is dead. That's good to know,' he thought, putting down his coffee cup. 

"Why did you interfere today?" Hiei asked, looking out into the dark sky. There was no moon shinning this night. The clouds were thick and the wind rough. Rain would be there by morning. 

They all looked at Hiei before turning back to Thorn. She sighed.

"You are all very persistent in finding a reason why anyone would help you. Maybe its because I'm a nice person," she said. Hiei snorted. Thorn looked in the glass, glaring at his reflection as he smirked. "Fine. So maybe its not because I'm a nice person. If you insist, I'll tell you. But don't pester me after I'm done. I'm paying a debt is all. And now my debt is repaid. I have saved at least one of your lives today, if not two, and saved you a lot of pain in the Turnamate."

"What was your debt?" Yusuke asked quietly.

"I told you not to pester me after I told you. I will not answer that question," she said with the touch of a growl. Silence settled around them. Five minutes passed before it was broken. 

"Thorn, you have a lot of potential as a fighter," Kurama said.

"You're trying to say something, Kurama. You don't say basically the same thing twice in one day if you don't have a point behind it. What are you trying to say?" Thorn said, looking at him. 

"I'm saying that I think Koenma would enjoy having such a powerful member on his team," he said. Even Hiei turned to stare at Kurama. Thorn nodded.

"I had a feeling you were going to say something like that," she said. 

"B-but she's a girl!" Kuwabara stuttered in disbelief. Thorn glared at him.

"Do you have a problem with that, Kuwabara? Because I could make you regret that statement quite quickly," Thorn spat, sitting straighter in her chair. Kuwabara leaned back on the couch, waving his hands in surrender with a stupid grin.

"Hn, she could finish up everything you're too weak to handle easily," Hiei said with a smirk, turning to look back out the window. Kuwabara opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Thorn.

"First of all, I will clean up after no one, I work alone. And second, I have paid my dues, I have no reason to stay around. If there was something for me to gain by staying I might think about it, but there is nothing for me in the end. Besides, its time for me to leave you four behind. I am done here and I have yet to master my trainer's techniques, and I need strong opponents in order to perfect them."

"The enemies Koenma gives us are more than strong. They're cunning and swift, better than anything you'll ever find," reasoned Kurama. Thorn looked at him suspiciously. "The challenge they would give you would be enough to perfect your attacks."

"Kurama, don't try to talk me into anything. I know why you want me to stay, but it will take much more than my presents for you to find out who taught me. I should be going," Thorn said, reaching for her sword. Kurama's expression turned grim.

"So what you are trying to say is that you are afraid of what we might learn about you," Kurama said, his eyes watching his coffee cup. Thorn's hand stopped and she froze. After a second she looked up, her normally emerald eyes a furious blue.

"You dare call me a coward? I am afraid of nothing, Kurama," she said, her voice a deadly hiss. "And if you beg to differ then I'll slit your throat." Botan, Kuwabara, and Yusuke gave her startled looks. Her voice spoke with such confidence one could be sure that the threat was not an empty one. 

"I never called you a coward, Thorn," Kurama said solemnly. 

"You don't have to speak for me to know what you are trying to say. I know every thought you think, Kurama. You try to deceive me and I _will_ kill you." Thorn had picked up her sword, which hummed gently as she placed it on her back, and began to move toward the doorway from which she had entered. 

"I have no intentions of deceiving you. I was merely stating what I thought you were trying to tell us," Kurama explained. Thorn turned, her azure eyes hot ambers as she stared at him, trying to make him look up. His gaze wavered from where it was leveled, glancing up but for a second. But the second was all that was needed. His eyes were held by hers, which seemed deep and dark compared to a moment ago. They were bottomless pits of abyss that never seemed to end, that pulled him into a dark and icy hell. 

"You speak the truth. I see that now. But your clever tricks will not work on me, Kurama. I'll tell you what, you give me a reason to stay, and, as I said before, I'll think about it. But, as I said at the turnamate, there is nothing you could give me that I could not acquire in one year's time." Thorn stood, waiting, as the group looked at the kitsune. Kurama thought a minute, his mind buzzing from the sight of her cold, empty eyes. 

"What about training?" said Hiei from his window. "She clearly could use it." Thorn turned her cold, raging blue eyes toward him, but could not catch his eyes in the reflection before Kurama agreed. 

"Yes, what do you think, Thorn? Your alliance in exchange for training?" The room was silent for a moment but for a rumbling from the girl's sword. Even Kuwabara and Yusuke were quiet while she thought a moment. She mumbled something a moment later.

"Whadya say?" Kuwabara asked, who had turned around in the couch to look at her. He was met with silence for another two seconds.

"Yes, I think that I could come to an agreement with that," Thorn finally said, the blank, expressionless look on her face and the far-away look in her eyes vanishing. "One month of training in exchange for my helping you with any missions that might come about during that time."

"Agreed," Kurama said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: I am now excepting anonymous (sp) reviews! Yay! I thank you again, Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame! ^_^.

Kuwabara: we have another review! -begins to open envelope-

J: -snatches it away- hey! -glare- 

Yusuke: -chuckle- alright! You let me chuckle!

J: -snort- it's a privilage, don't abuse it. Now, let's see our review! Oo! 

****

Hiei's1girl-again! Yay! I've updated for ya! ^_^

****

Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame- lol, hope your comp gets…ahh, less evil? And I made my note about anonymous reviews! ^_^ thank you! Being called a favorite author really is touching, I appreciate it! Thank you!

Hiei: I want to write another story.

J: -glare- you should reply to the wonderful reviewers!

Hiei: -slump- I smell sweet snow I want it so bad -grumble-

Yusuke: -quickly hides sweet snow he's eating- -licks fingers of ice cream-

Kurama: -chuckle-

J: -rolls eyes- anyway. Hope ya'll like this chapter! ^_^ I think I'll try to finish this story up before I let Kurama post his story that I promised he could write. 

Kurama: -swells with pride-

Yusuke: -rolls eyes-

Kuwabara: how come you didn't promise me I could write a story?

J: franky, I don't think anyone would read it and I think I might die after trying to correct all your spelling mistakes. You can't even spell cat.

Kuwabara: can too! Its K_A_T! ha!

All: -_-' baka.

Kuwabara: speaking of kitties, where's yers?

J: I don't think so! Pilgrim's mine dammit!

Kuwabara: I just wanna pet 'im.

J: -snaps fingers- -Eikichi appears- here. Be happy.

Kuwabara: Eikichi!! -pets lovingly-

Eikichi: Meow!

Yusuke: I feel so bad for that cat. 

J: -glare- shut-up before I make you giggle again. Just as long as he's quiet. For that, I demand you do the disclaimer.

Yusuke: -rolls eyes- okay. J-san owns only Thorn, BlackFire, but not us, thankfully.

J: **please review!**


	12. The Coward

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twelve: The Coward

"So you didn't bring Yusuke and Kuwabara to come laugh as well? Really, Kurama, you disappoint me." Thorn walked into the clearing, making Kurama and Hiei look toward her. She was clothed in her skirt and short shirt, her supple calf-high boots silent on the thick foliage. She had pulled her hair back into a tight braid that fell to her waist and swayed over her back as she walked. She stopped and held her staff at her side as she placed her left hand on her hip. Kurama chuckled. 

"Hiei's hardly come to laugh. With your speed not exactly, well, fast. He's come to help develop it into a higher skill level," Kurama explained. 

"Hn," both Hiei and Thorn grunted. 

"Let's get started. For the next month, with the exceptions on the days we have missions, we will start at dawn, here, beginning with your speed. Hiei will begin the day with you," Kurama continued. Thorn nodded. 

"Lets get started," Hiei said. "First, I need to study your speed. Do a lap around the clearing." Thorn nodded, placing her staff against a tree. She did as she was told. Hiei shook his head when she was done. 

"This is going to be a long month," he said as she stood in front of him, breathing heavily. 

Later that day, after four hours of training with Hiei in speed skills, Thorn began training with Kurama. Her dodging was exquisite. By twisting at the last second, she managed to dodge nearly every attack. The ones she failed to avoid didn't even mark her. They both landed after an especially difficult attack.

"Tell me, how did you learn to dodge so well?" Kurama asked as they took a short break. She looked at him wearily. 

"By watching. Eyes are far quicker than any weapon," she said hesitantly. 

"But the way you dodged, I can't understand how you can twist to avoid such attacks within the second you have to do so."

"Agility. By manipulating muscles you can twist in any direction easily and quickly." Kurama thought on her answer a moment. 

"I see," he finally said. He looked over to her. She was still breathing heavily, her hair, in its flexible braid that lay on her neck, was plastered to her face. 

"Are you tired?" he asked. She shook her head, making her braid snake from one side of her back to the other. 

"No," she gasped.

'She is clearly exhausted. But she's not saying anything,' Kurama thought. 'I could work her to literal death and I doubt she would say a word beforehand.'

"We're done for today. Come back tomorrow, dawn," the boy said. Thorn opened her mouth to protest, but her panting breaths made her mutilate her words into a choking cough.

*

Morning dawned bright and early. Birds flitted through the trees, their songs happy and crisp. Early morning rays of golden sun beamed through the tree branches and lightened the dark shadows of night. The clearing lay in a sun-kissed pool, ankle-high grass swaying slightly in a cool breeze. Hiei had arrived early that morning and sat waiting for Thorn to arrive. He had been helping Kurama train her for nearly three weeks now. Improvement had been immediate and was obvious to even the untrained eye. Kurama had noticed it the next day, after she had recovered from her bout of utter exhaustion. 

Hiei had asked Kurama the night before what exactly had driven him to keep the girl around. 

"I have a feeling that her trainer was an ancient dragon by the name of The Black Blaze," he had replied. 

"The Black Blaze? But I thought he was killed long ago," Hiei had said, looking up. His eyes were wide with surprise.

"I did as well. But that attack, the one I told you I saw when she was disposing of the dead demons, was his signature move. It was called the Internal Fire. By forcing his fire energy into his opponent's body he could literally burn them from the inside out in seconds with only a small puff of smoke. It leaves no evidence behind that it was ever used," Kurama explained. "I never heard of him ever having an apprentice that learned his trade and so the only way I can think of her learning that technique was for him to teach her. But he was supposed to have been killed long ago. If he survived until just a few months ago, I want to now how and why he died."

"It seemed to me that you're depending a lot upon this girl talking," Hiei said with a grunt. "And it doesn't look like she's much for speaking."

"Give her time, Hiei. I'm sure that if we wait her out long enough, she's bound to let something slip. She is, after all, only human," Kurama had said.

'I don't know. She's cunning and smart. She doesn't act like she could ever let anything slip, she thinks things through too thoroughly for that, even when her anger seems to get the better of her,' Hiei thought, listening as leaves rustled in a sighing breeze.

Thorn walked into the clearing, watching for Hiei in the depths of the shadows. She spotted him immediately, even though he was hidden in the thick branches of a leafy tree. She walked into the clearing with confidence, watching him as he looked down on her. With a small whoosh he jumped down from the tree and stood in front of her, an ebony blur against the dark shadows. They stood looking at each other a moment without saying anything. The sun began to creep over the far-away horizon. 

"We are training today, are we not?" Thorn asked about twenty minutes of silence. 

"Yes," Hiei said. 'It was either her inpatients or her curiosity that got the better of her. Kurama might find it useful that she can be waited out,' he thought. Thorn looked at him, her face seemed to change, to darken. Her head jerked a few inches to the side, snapping her neat braid like a whip behind her.

"So you're a spy for Kurama? Well, now that I know that I'll be on my guard. Thank you for keeping your mind so open and free," she said with a hiss. BlackFire seethed, glowing bright and regal navy on her back. Hiei's expression remained blank. "Well now that I know that, I see that there is no reason for me to be in your debt any longer. You have gained more knowledge of me than I could possibly know."

"Wrong. I am no spy. Like you, I choose to work alone, and help no one. I never said...thought, that I would tell him. You assume too much," the fire youkai said, burrowing his hands deeper in his cloak's folds. 

"I assume only what the evidence points to so clearly," she spat. "Where is Kurama? I will break this deal now."

"You are taking the coward's way out," Hiei said quietly.

"You call me a coward? You should not speak of such things, Hiei, when you yourself are such a coward, hiding behind that mask. You were so fearful that you caused yourself as much pain as having that Jagan eye put in to track down and keep watch over your sister. Then you are too much of a coward to tell her that you are her own brother, for whom she has put herself through much pain to find. You are the coward Hiei," she ranted, her voice rising. Hiei glared at her, surprise bright in his eyes, but anger in his features. He balled his fists and gritted his teeth, his body tense, ready to spring a deadly attack. 

"How did you know that?" he snarled. She glared at him and crossed her arms, turning to leave.

"I'm leaving."

"I asked you a question," he said, his tone deadly and threatening. Thorn turned around. 

"And I told you I was leaving," she said sharply. BlackFire hissed a vibrant song by her ear. An angry warning to Hiei, who paid it no heed.

In a flash he was in front of her, his eyes glowing dangerously. She looked at him, her eyes sparking silvery blue flames. She leapt into the trees, a blur in the morning light. Hiei cut her off as she landed on a thick branch. She seemed to growl and lept again, with the same results. Again and again she tried, but to no avail, he was much swifter. This went on for thirty minutes, until Thorn's lungs demanded a rest from the exercise.

"How did you know?" Hiei asked evenly, his rage contained as he crouched on a branch not far from her own.

"I know..many things, Hiei," she panted. 

"Tell me," he growled.

"My magic told me," she said with a smug smile. Hiei watched her as her right foot shifted just a bit. She was getting ready to flee again.

"Don't go. I can see why Kurama wanted you to stay. You seemed to know a lot about us. From the turnamate, from our own lives. I knew there was something strange about you from the turnamate. You already knew exactly what was going to happen." Thorn did not reply, but continued to pant. 

'Its pointless for me to run. I'm not fast enough. I'll have to fight,' Thorn thought. She looked around, careful not to let Hiei see her shifty actions, looking for the a place to battle that would suit her style best. 'It doesn't matter, with his speed I'll never reach it, even if I saw a good place,' she thought. Her eyes took a determined glare as she turned toward Hiei. 

"I'll have to kill you for what you know," Hiei said seriously.

"You think that I'm not to be trusted? I knew such things for a long time Hiei. If I was going to use it to my advantage I would have done so already. I was a fool in my rage. I regret saying anything," she said. She bolted from her tree, leaping to another.

Thorn halted at the next branch, her eyes staring straight ahead of her with a blank expression. Hiei's katana lay just a mere inch from her throat. She was in a crouch on the branch, and to move was to ensure a slit throat. 

"You will regret it even more once I kill you," Hiei said quietly. He stood on a branch beside her own, looking down on her. She smirked, but other than the twitching of her lips, she was frozen in place. 

"BlackFire will not let me die. No matter what attack you pull. Dragon of the Darkness Flame could not kill us at our peak. With our combined power there is not an attack in the world that could kill us," she said, her voice thick with smugness. Hiei's sword inched closer, resting against her vulnerable neck. 

"Would you like to bet on that?" he asked as the cool metal of his sword brushed her throat. Her smirk widened to a smile. 

"I wouldn't only because BlackFire would kill you without hesitation and you still have a secret to tell Yukina. I wouldn't want to jeopardize an opportunity for you to do so, Hiei," she said calmly. Suddenly, without moving her upper-body, she kicked the sword from his hands. As its edge slid past her throat she grabbed its hilt, and turned it on its master. She looked at the off-guard youkai, who was nearly growling in his stupidity.

"You thought you had me, didn't you? I've said it before and I'll say it once again. People underestimate me far too often." Thorn's smile had grown as she watched the fire demon think. After about three minutes of silence, Thorn shifted in her crouch on the tree. Her hand ran over the blade of the sword, drawing blood from the heel of her hand. "But just to insure that you don't try to kill me in the future, I'll take a precautionary step. You should be honored. I've always killed before I've ever used this defense." Her blue energy streaked down the sharp edge with her blood, until the sword was engulfed in the bluish power. Within seconds, the energy, as well as the blood, had been absorbed. 

Thorn threw the sword back to Hiei, who caught it easily. 

"You shouldn't have done that, now I will kill you," he said. 'What did she do to it that made her so confident that I wouldn't kill her with it? She's starting to aggravate me with her smug attitude,' he thought as he readied himself for an attack. Thorn returned his stare with a smile as she straightened. 

"You can try. But you wont be able to touch me for six hours. I've ensured that, and you sealed the deal when you touched that sword. I take my leave now. Don't follow me. At least, not until you're back to your true power. I'm sure that we will see each other again. I do not like to leave unhealthy arguments in my wake," Thorn said as she lept down from the tree. Hiei swung his sword as she disappeared down onto the earth, but he knew he would miss. He did. But there was a reluctance in his swing that he could not place. It was as if his sword suddenly had a mind of its own, and refused to come near the girl. He looked at the sword, which had emitted a low vibration and a barely noticeable amount of energy when he swung. 

Hiei listened, but Thorn's footfalls were silent and her energy hidden. 

"Damn," he cursed. "I should have killed her."

'But how did she know about Yukina? Its impossible. Only Kurama, Yusuke, Botan, Koenma, and the Ice Apparitions know. And I know for a fact that none of them would tell. Kurama, Yusuke, and Koenma can be trusted. Botan, if she values her life, didn't. And the Ice Apparitions wouldn't for shame. Unless. Her psychic powers are extremely strong. She could have looked into the minds of the weaker-minded and found out easily, without their knowing.' Hiei gritted his teeth. 'But she was right when she said that if she wanted to use the information against me that she had every opportunity. In the arena, in the hotel, the places were limitless with her mind speech. I wonder why she didn't use it as blackmail. But she has said, time and time again, that there is nothing anyone could give that should could not get on her own.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: yes, I know, it's a crappy chapter, but, hey, I do what I can! Besides, I've been obsessed with fanart for the past week. Its driving me insane!

Yusuke: I'll say. You've drawn Kurama twice, Hiei once, and done little doodles all over your math, global, and English notebooks! -waves notebooks-

J: -snatches them away- hey! Who said you could go through my stuff!

Kurama: -inconspicuously picks math notebook from her hand- Aoshi too?

J: -growl- damn you guys! -grabs for notebook-

Hiei- takes it from Kurama- hey, what's with the sadistic grin you gave me?

J: -reaches for it again, only to have it just out of reach- dammit, give it back! Besides, you always look sadistic before you use the Dragon of the darkness Flame!

Kurama: -going through notebook- I didn't know my hair was…pink.

J: -growl- damn you guys! And its not pink, its light red! I couldn't find a maroon colored pencil!

Kurama: you made Kuronue look….angry.

Kuronue: -pout-

J: -melt- aww -shakes head- he is angry! You just told him what he was doing was wrong! -snatches folder away- now, dammit all Hiei, gimme the notebook back!

Hiei: -still studying- you don't take many notes. At least, not about math.

J: -blush- -rips it away- that's none of your business! Anyway! Before everyone decided to go through all my artwork! I got a review!! ^_^ 

D(): here ya go!! Thank you for the review!

J: okay, review some more please! 


	13. Breaking of a Deal and Left in the Dark

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Thirteen: Breaking of a Deal and Left in the Dark

Kurama stopped and looked around. Nothing in his room looked different, but something felt just a little strange. 

'Huh, my imagination is working overtime today,' he thought with a small smile. He sat down at his desk, and began working on some unknown project.

There was a quiet, yet confident knock on the door downstairs. Mrs. Minemino wiped her hands on a dish towel. 

"Coming!" she called as she walked toward the door. She opened the door with a smile. A young woman dressed in black stood before her, smiling up at the woman. 

"Konnichiwa, what can I do for you?" the older woman asked.

"Konnichiwa. I was wondering if Minemino-san was home?" the girl asked, beaming up a brilliant smile. 

"Why yes, wont you come in?" the boy's mother said, stepping aside to let the girl step into a tastefully decorated sitting room. "Shuichi-chan! You have a friend down here to see you, dear!" she called up to her son. "Please, have a seat, he'll be down in a minute." 

"Agraito," the girl said, flashing another smile as she took a seat. She looked around the room a moment before her sensitive ears heard soft footsteps on the stairs. She also heard a confused and sharp breath and a faltering of step. 

"Thorn-san?" came his softly confused voice. She turned around and smiled. She looked different. Her eyes held a dangerous glint. 

"Hello, Minemino-san. How are you doing this morning?" she asked sweetly. 

"Fine. Just fine. Would you like to come up to my room and talk?" he said, making sure his voice was neutral over the small clanging and swashing of his mother doing dishes.

"That would be wonderful," she said, rising from her seat and following him up the stairs. They walked down a short hall before he opened a door into his room. She took a seat on his bed as he shut the door.

"I thought you were out training with Hiei," he said, turning around to face her.

"I was, until I realized the you were using him as a spy." Thorn's voice had turned hard, and her expression verged on anger. Her eyes were a demonic blue that tore like ice into his being. His expression did not change even though his blood began to run cold.

"I was not using Hiei as a spy. If he chose to tell me anything he learned about you that you had told him then that was his choice," Kurama said impassibly.

"Don't pull that shit with me," Thorn hissed, her eyes bearing into his.

"Now, there is no need for harsh language," he said quietly. 

"Don't be such a fop. Listen to me, Kurama," she said, spitting his name out in a curse. (A Fop is a man who is obsessed with clothes and manners, hehe.) "If you want information, get it yourself. It disgusts me that you, the famous Youko Kurama, would stoop to such a level. And to think that because of you, I blew up at Hiei, who had nothing to do with it. You _are_ ruthless, just as the stories say." Kurama flinched. "Yes, you are trying to become a better person, but what you pulled for the past two and a half weeks was far from a step toward your goal. You made me hurt Hiei without need other than my rage. I do not like that. Not only that, Kurama, but you forced Hiei into a battle there was no way he could win. You know that I am strong, even though I have hardly shown my true power. Why did you drag him into it? Never mind, don't answer that. I came to break our deal. Next time you want something, ask first. Maybe, just maybe, you'll get an answer." Thorn's heated glare bore into him a moment longer before she began to stand.

"Wait," Kurama said, stepping toward her. "Then I have a question to ask. Who was your trainer?" Her eyes remained angry but her expression flitted with an amused smile. Her sword suddenly appeared on her back and she rose her left hand to draw it from the thongs that held it in place. Kurama tensed as it hissed from its place under her thick curtain of hair.

"Do you really want to know, dearest Shuichi?" she said in an innocent voice, holding his gaze with her eyes and her broad-sword with her left hand. She held it up in front of his face, waving it slightly.

"Yes," he replied. Her lips continued to twitch.

"Then here is your answer," she whispered, stepping closer to him, a smile finally fleeing to her sensual mouth. Her humming sword began to glow bright as she brushed it near his cheek, but did not touch him. The boy did not flinch. 

"So you are saying that your sword is him? I don't understand."

"You don't? Well I suppose you wouldn't. Maybe one day you will. But for now, you'll just have to go on whatever information I choose to give you." She retreated her sword, who's hum dimmed at the motion. It again disappeared as she replaced it on her back. She looked up at him, her eyes glowing their normal, bright green. They were close. Too close to be comfortable stubbornly. But they stared at each other. She looked up at him, a smile still on her face. A face that hid a sly girl, who could manipulate the game to play right into her hands. A face that hid the deadly woman that she really was. That hid the power that she really possessed. Kurama looked down at her, his tall frame towering over her short one. His face was blank, but his eyes were deep and full of expression. He didn't even try to hid it. She could see it even if he used all his energies to conceal it and he knew it. 

"I should be going, before your mother begins to wonder," she said with her sad smile after a few long moments. She turned her eyes away, and began to walk around the kitsune toward the door. He lightly grabbed her arm, turning toward her as she put her hand on the knob. 

"But you never answered my question."

"And I don't suppose I ever will. Like I said, maybe one day you'll understand. Maybe one day I'll tell you. Its good for someone as old as you to be put in the dark every once in a while." Her smile grew wider, but she did not turn to face him completely. Kurama straightened.

"Let me show you the door," was all he said. She removed her hand from the door knob and let him open it, following him down the hall and stairs into the sitting room before he opened the front door for her. She stepped out and faced him, her voice sing-song innocent and her face radiating happiness that never even began to reflect in her eyes.

"Argaito, Minemino-san. It was nice seeing you again," the girl said with a small bow.

"Yes, it was nice seeing you again too," he said in his quiet voice, returning her bow. She turned around with childish glee and set off. Kurama closed the door and went to a large window on his left. He pulled away the curtains and watched her as she began to walk past.

Thorn continued to smile her fake smile. She could feel him watching her. When she walked even with the window where the boy was watching she stopped and turned. He didn't seem startled by the gesture. Anyone who was spiritually aware could feel someone looking at them. But what was that in his eyes? She thought. Her features faltered a moment, unnoticeably, as she looked into his eyes. The windows to the soul. The spark was gone. She brightened her smile slightly before turning and walking away. She saw the curtains fall back in place as the kitsune left the window.

'Hm, I wonder what he was thinking. Well it doesn't matter now. The emotion is gone. But still, I've never seen anything like it aimed at me before.' Thorn sighed. 'I must be imagining things.' She quickened her pace down the street.

Kurama walked back up to his room slowly, trying to put together the puzzle that Thorn had given him. But too many pieces were missing, so, he thought, he'd just have to wait for her to give out more.

"I take it she's already been here by the look on your face." Hiei stepped in from a tree branch near the kitsune's open window. Kurama turned to face the short youkai, nodding. He closed his door and crossed his arms, leaning against it with his eyes on the thick carpet. 

"Did you get the information you wished to acquired from her?" Hiei asked.

"No. But I will," Kurama said determinedly.

"Hn. Once you get your mind set on something, there's no stopping you. But this girl. She seems to like leaving you in the dark."

"Funny, she said the almost exact same thing to me not five minutes ago. Only she said it was good for me." He smiled and gave a small chuckle. "I guess she's right. But it would help if I have a little more information to go on. Maybe I should ask Koenma if he's found out anything about her," he said musingly. 

"Hn. I wouldn't," Hiei grunted. Kurama looked up.

"And why is that, Hiei?" he asked quietly. The youkai shrugged.

"If you noticed, she's avoided Koenma since we met her. Notice she left a note instead of speaking to him. With the exception of her talking to him about taking Gen Kai's place in the turnamate, she hasn't looked at him or spoken to him since," Hiei said.

"Are you saying you think she's afraid of him?" Kurama asked. "But she would have good reason. With all her power, it is assured that Koenma would find her a threat, even though we do not know the full extent of her strength."

"I noticed that she never used her powers with me when we trained. She didn't even use her healing powers, which I find strange."

"She used some of her powers with me. Although, now that you mention it, she never did seem to reveal her full potential as a fighter or use much of her spirit energy, even if she had exhausted her body," Kurama said, thinking out loud. Hiei looked up at him under his hair as the boy began to pace around the room. 

"Hn. While you figure out what makes her so special, I'm going to see if Koenma has something worth while for me to do. This world bores me to no end," Hiei said, turning toward the window.

"Hm," Kurama said with a small wave as he left.

*

Hiei stood in Koenma's office, watching as the toddler rifled through a tall stack of papers. The young boy's face was etched in confusion as well as desperation. He looked up to see Hiei standing in front of his desk, but his work consumed his attention entirely. 

Hiei glared at him until the young ruler looked up.

"What do you want, Hiei? Can't you see I'm busy?" he said harshly. "I don't have anything for any of you to do now, so just try to keep yourself amused in the human world...._without_ hurting anyone," he added after the youkai's eyes lifted just slightly and his lips twitched. At the later statement he scowled dolefully. 

"Hn. So what is so important?" Hiei growled. 

"I'm _trying_ to find information on Thorn. I haven't found a thing! People just don't appear! I don't understand it. Not only that, but I have no information about her to go on. Unless you or Kurama have found something..?" Koenma asked, stopping his work and putting his energies toward focusing on the fire demon.

"Hn," Hiei replied. Koenma sighed.

"I thought as much," he said, his shoulders slumping as he returned his attention toward the many books and paper stacks on his cluttered desk. 

"Oh! What am I going to do?" Koenma whined, holding his head with his hands after another five straight minutes of searching. "I can't find a thing! Ogre! Bring me something to eat!" he demanded. The blue ogre rushed in with a tray.

"Here you go Koenma, sir!" he panted, setting the tray on the desk.

"Ogre! Watch it! These are important documents!" Koenma growled.

"Oh! Sorry sir!"

Hiei rolled his eyes and left the room.

"Don't worry, Hiei! I have a feeling something will turn up for you to do!" Koenma called after the fire youkai as he stuffed his face.

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Authoress' Note: ^_^ 'nother chappy done! Yay! Sorry if I got the suffixes wrong, I'm new at them. Yay! More reviews! Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame, you are one of my most loyal reviewers!

Yusuke: Why wasn't I in this chapter? -whine-

J: dammit, will you quit bugging me about it?!

Yusuke: but I wanna have a part!

J: well next chapter your name is the first one on the screen, happy?

Yusuke: yeah!

Botan: and I get to scream at you! n_n

J: yup! ^_^

Yusuke: -rolls eyes- wonderful.

J: of course it is! You get a new mission next time!

Kuwabara: yeah! Time to go kick some bad-guy butt!

Yukina: Oh, be careful Kazuma.

Kuwabara: -blush- I, Kazuma Kuwabara, shall grant us victory!

All but Yukina&Kuwabara: -rolls eyes- -_-' baka.

Kurama: J-san, when do I get to write my story? -big puppy-dog eyes-

J: don't gimme that look! You'll get to it as soon as I let you on my computer. Frankly, its still getting repairs from the first story, the one that Hiei wrote.

All: ~Flashback~ Hiei beating the sh*t out of the computer tower, saying it was an incarnation of evil because of its annoying hum. ~*end flashback*~ -shudder-

Hiei: -mumbles- it IS an incarnation of evil. Just listen to it hum!

All: -_- sure.

J: well, enough of that. Kurama's story will be up…when it gets written, so get that pencil a-scratchin' boy!

Kurama: -rummages through desk for paper and pen- -finds- -begins to write-

J: -rolls eyes- Just make sure Kuronue and Youko are in it! Okay, well, to answer your review, 

****

Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame: She will eventually admit to knowing more than they believe she could. It comes in later chapters. Try to be patient. ^_^. And I updated faster just for you! 

J: Alright, this author's note is getting waay too long! 

Click the pretty purple button! ^_^


	14. The Mission Tape and Hiei's Assignment

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Fourteen: The Mission Tape and Hiei's Assignment

"Yusuke!" Botan screamed, running through his appartment. "Yusuke where are you?"

"Agg! Quit shrieking, Botan. I can hear you loud and clear," Yusuke grumbled, rubbing his ears.

"Hurry up! Get out of bed! Where's Hiei and Kurama?" she asked, her face shattered with urgency.

"How the hell do I know?" he asked, still rubbing his abused ears. "Why?"

"Hurry! Get your ass out of bed and go to Kuwabara's. I have to find them," she ranted, running from the room. Yusuke heard the apartment door slam and Botan barrel down the stairs.

"What the hell is her problem?" Yusuke grumbled, shaking his head and stumbling out of bed. He called Kuwabara and told him Botan was ranting on about something and that he would be over to the red-head's house in fifteen minutes. 

"Stupid girl. Dragging me out of bed like that. On a Saturday too. Stupid, stupid girl. She didn't even tell me what hell was going on," the spirit detective mumbled under his breath as he walked sulkily over to the Kuwabara house, his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans.

*Meanwhile*

"Kurama!" Botan screeched as she tried to refrain from bolting up the stairs into his room. Mrs. Minamino was down stairs, happily cleaning the kitchen after letting the Grim Reaper inside.

"What's wrong, Botan?" Kurama asked, meeting her half-way down the hall.

"Kurama! Where's Hiei?"

"He's outside my window, why? What's wrong?"

"Get Hiei and I'll meet you two at Kuwabara's in five minutes. Please! Hurry!" she begged, running down the stairs and closing the door behind her, trying in vain not to slam it, yet failing. Kurama walked quickly back into his room.

"Hiei. I think Koenma has answered your call for a mission from last week. Botan just ran in telling us to be at Kuwabara's in five minutes," Kurama said to Hiei, who was sitting comfortably in the tree next to his window.

"Hn. Finally. It took him long enough," Hiei said, standing and ffitting (ya know, that sound they make in the anime were he disappears at super-speed? ^_^ hehe) away. Kurama turned and opened his door, rushing down the stairs and out of the house.

'Something must be wrong if Botan is so upset. I wonder what it could be,' Kurama thought. He arrived at Kuwabara's house a few minutes later. He ran upstairs into Kuwabara's room, were the rest of the gang was waiting. Botan was pacing nervously.

"Kurama! Finally!" Botan cried.

"Botan, what's going on?" Kurama asked, stepping into the room. 

"Koenma gave me this tape. He said it was urgent and you were to be informed immediately," she said. "He didn't tell me anything about it other then it was important," she said, taking the tape out and placing it in the VCR and pushing play. 

After the introductions, a worn-looking Koenma stared at them from the screen. "Kurama, Hiei, I heard that you are currently training the one named 'Thorn'. Now, I know for a fact that her name is not Thorn, for no one exists by that name that matches her description. Although I don't know what her name is, nor very much about her, I do have some information about her. I cannot release that information at this time, but I do know that the power she possesses is stolen. I need you two, since you are currently training Thorn, to restrain her and escort her to Spirit World. That is all for now. This is urgent and I ask that this mission be carried out immediately." With that the screen went into the ritual of credits before blanking out. 

Everyone stared at the screen for a moment.

"Hn," came a whisper. Thinking it was Hiei, the group ignored it. All but for Hiei, who ran to the window and flung it open. The voice was feminine. And he knew it.

"Yo, what's up with Hiei?" Kuwabara asked as the black-cloaked demon jumped out the window onto the roof of the building. Kurama thought a moment before running to the side of the building, searching for the fire escape that ran down its length to get to the roof.

"C'mon, let's follow them," Botan said, running after Kurama with Yusuke and Kuwabara scrambling to their feet in pursuit.

Hiei jumped to the top of the building in a leap, landing in a crouch, his eyes up on the black-clad figure in front of him.

"Hn. Don't run," he said to her. She smiled, her long brownish black hair winking soft golden smiles in the sun.

"Hn, yourself," Thorn said, placing her right hand on her hip, her keen ears listening as Kurama rushed to find the fire escape on which her hand lay, unnoticed, on an invisible handle. 

"I take it, by using your powers, you heard what Koenma had to say." She nodded. "Then you know I could turn you in right now." She smiled dourly. 

"I am quite aware of what you could _try_, Hiei. Whether you'll succeed or not is a chance, a slim one, but still a chance, all in its own. And I know that you are conscious of the fact that I have the upper hand. I know much more about you then you know of me. But," she said, a small breeze ruffling her hair and pants as well as the bottom of her shirt, revealing a sliver of her hard stomach. She stared into his eyes with her own, which had suddenly grown into a deep and endless blue. Hiei refused to be pulled into the trance that she coaxed him into and her expression hardened at his stubbornness. "I do See that you did not seek me out just for the pain of my knocking you senseless," she continued, her eyes returning to their normal, bright green. Hiei's ruby gaze flamed angrily at her. "You know it don't you? Well I suppose that you had enough sense to realize it. I will admit that you are no idiot. Unlike, well, a close friend of, let's say, the one you watch over, hm? Don't give me that look, Hiei. Yes, I regret saying anything before but that's no reason to give me that snarl. 

"But anyway, I Saw that you're not here to turn me in. You enjoy the hunt, do you? Ah, will so do I. But, unfortunately for yourself, you will not be the hunter. I will."

*

"Kuwabara! Where the hell is the fire escape?!" Yusuke growled. 

"How the hell do I know?! I was always right here before!" the boy shouted. Kurama examined the wall of the building where the ladder was supposed to be located.

"Well they don't just disappear!" Yusuke snapped.

'What is going on? Its as if the escape just vanished without a trace. That's impossible,' Kurama thought, running his hand along the brick. 

*

"Quit kidding yourself, Thorn. Apparently Koenma knows all about your power. All I need to do is find a weakness in it," Hiei replied, making Thorn's smile grow wider.

"Oh, come now, Hiei. You already know my greatest weakness, conscious of it or not. But now I should not be telling my newly-found enemies my weakness', eh?" Thorn said, her tone amused.

"If you knew we were eventually going to be your enemies from the beginning, then why did you seek us out so willingly?" Hiei asked.

"Do you know the saying? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Well I have added to that saying for my own purposes. Keep the people you can trust close, and your enemies closer. And when you think that you can't get your enemies any closer, pretend to be their allies and gain their trust. But now, I've already told you, as well as the rest of your group, why I came to your aid. I had a debt to pay, remember?" she reminded him.

"Toward Koenma. He said you stole a power. That was your debt?" he asked. Her expression darkened and became irked. She growled.

"I stole nothing." Her tone became sweet. Her face played the role of an innocent child.

"Bull," Hiei said impassibly.

"Oh hardly, Hiei. But think what you want. Now that Koenma has at least a lead, then you will soon find out the truth of my tale. Unless, of course, his sources are as unreliable as I presume. But, Hiei, unlike your friends and, at times, yourself, I _never_ underestimate my enemy." She looked down, listening to the cursing of the boys below her. "Now I must go. I have told you too much, and I'm sure I will not like the consequences of my actions. But sometimes the hunt is more fun when the prey thinks they have the advantage, don't you think?" She smirked. Her imaged fluttered and dissapeared. Where her hand lay moments ago appeared the railing to the fire escape and the tell-tale sounds of four people bolting up its steps.

"Hiei!" Kuwabara said. "What the hell are you doing up here? And how did the fire escape disappear like that?"

"Hn. Thorn was here. I heard her," he said, replacing his hands in the pockets of his cloak.

"Why didn't you stop her then?" Kuwabara demanded.

"I didn't feel like it," he said with a shrug. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kuwabara growled, his fist clenched.

"Hiei," Kurama began, only to be stopped by a meaningful glare from Hiei's bright, sienna eyes. 

"Relax. I'll get her soon enough. She doesn't seem to be able to resist teasing us. If we refuse to stalk her, she'll wonder why and come back to bait us. Leave this mission to me, it will keep me occupied in this boring world," Hiei explained before ffitting (the sound again ^-^') off again.

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Authoress' Note: hello all! ^_^ 

Yusuke: I didn't know you were going to make me look like an idiot! -grumble- stupid authors.

WHACK!

Yusuke: @_@ gaa. 

J: -eyebrow twitch- what did you say about us wonderful authors? -holding bloody ladle- 

Yusuke: -suddenly innocent- nothing! ^_^ nothing at all!

All: -chuckle- 

Hiei: yes! Do I get to kill anyone?

J: -glare- no!!! well…-thinks a minute- no, I wont let you kill them.

Hiei: -pout- damn.

Kurama: why don't we do reviews now, since this can only get worse.

Yusuke: -nearly recovered from the ladle-lashing- I agree.

J: aww, okay. You're no fun Kurama. 

Kurama: -smile- ^_^.

Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame- oo! I didn't know Kurama's name was spelled like that! I got it from a Kurama-dedicated shrine, although I did see the 'a' version somewhere else, I just chose the 'e' one. Whoops! I should start having him proof-read stuff like that I guess.

Kurama: -nods-

Anyway, I've been working on our school play, which is why I didn't update last week. Sorry for the wait. Agg, stage crew is harder than it looks! We performed Fri and Sat and I had practice all last week. @_@. And little sleep. I read your fics too. They're awesome! Keep up the good work! Yeah, Kurama's stumped ^_^. Poor wittle foxy! Lol. Well, the questions only grow more complex, so stay tuned!

Hiei's1girl- glad ya liked the chapters! Keep reading, because something happens and secrets are revealed very soon!!

J: alright! Thank you all for reading! Now……

REVIEW!! -giggle-

All: -rolls eyes-


	15. To Entice the Prey

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Fifteen: To Entice the Prey

Hiei lay calmly in a high branch of a tall tree, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed as he lay his back against the trunk. He listened extensively to the sounds around him, his hearing heightened with the closing of his eyes. He was trying to refrain from smiling as he listened, his chin tucked snug against his chest as he pretended to sleep on his perch. 

Finally, he heard the sound he had been waiting for nearly a week. A nearly silent whoosh and a slight vibration on the branch Hiei was sitting on. He didn't look up. Nor did he open his eyes. His position suggested he was still deep in slumber, even though the day was growing older and was well past morning.

"Why are you ignoring me, Hiei?" came a growl from in front of the youkai. "I know that you knew I was there." Hiei said nothing. 

"HIEI!" shouted the aggravated voice. Hiei opened his eyes and looked up. "Why were you ignoring me?" she persisted. Hiei uncrossed his arms, straightening his back against the trunk before recrossing them as well as his feet before looking at Thorn. 

"I was listening. What made you think I was ignoring you?" 

"I know damn well you were," she growled, crossing her own arms and sitting down on the tree branch before his feet sulkily, straddling the branch, her pant bottoms waving in the smallest of breezes. 

"What do you want?" Hiei asked. Thorn looked up wearily. "You're wasting my time."

"Oh really? Well I suppose you have so many more amusing things to do, don't you? Well then, don't let me keep you from your duties," she said sarcastically in low tones. Hiei smirked.

"It aggravates you that I don't give chase like you want, doesn't it?" he asked. Thorn glared at him. "That's why I took the mission. I know that if anyone gave chase, you could easily run when they began to close in. And enjoy it."

"Hn, revealing your plan to the enemy? Don't you think that's dangerous?" she asked with a sad smirk.

"Its not. I have figured out why you let yourself get caught in such a trap, Thorn."

"Oh really, Hiei? So you have me all figured out, do you? Well then, tell me your ingenious idea," she scoffed.

"This power that you sto-have," he corrected himself as she glared at him fiercely. "You want to test its full extent. The easiest why to do that is to find the strongest opponents you could find and test it out on them." Thorn's expression was blank. She sat on the rough bark, looking at him, yet not really looking _at_ him, but through him. 

'I think I hit a chord,' he thought. 'She's not reading my mind, or I'd feel it, and she's not responding.'

"Am I right?" he asked. 

"You expect an answer?" she asked sweetly, her eyes returning from their far-away place. He narrowed his eyes. 

"Yes, I do," he said, watching as she fingered her dragon medallion, looking down on the thick branches beneath them. She suddenly looked up, two strands of her amber hair falling over her bright topaz eyes.

"That's too bad," she said. "Because I cannot guarantee an answer for you." She twirled the medallion on its thin chain.

"Hn. Then I cannot guarantee that you will get to test your powers," he said. Thorn sat up straighter. "At least, not on us."

"And who is to say that I wont track you all down and force you to battle?" she inquired. Hiei almost smiled to himself. 

'I was right when I said that she wanted to test her powers on us,' the fire demon thought. "Because its not your style," he said simply. 

"Oh, and I suppose you know exactly what my style is, do you?" she asked, her voice sweet and cunning.

"I didn't say that."

"Well then, if you have figured me out so well, then what exactly is my style?" Hiei smirked.

"You know I can't tell you all that. If I did I would be telling you nearly everything I have found out about you," he said. 

"Yes. That is true. But you forget, I have told, or shown you, everything you know about me," she quipped. There was a pause.

"You might track all of us down, but you would never battle any of us unless we agreed to it. You told us in Los Vegas that you wouldn't kill unless your opponent was at their best. So as long as none of us reveal our strongest attacks, you wont kill us," Hiei explained briefly.

"Yes, but I never said that I wouldn't harm any of you," she said with a small, innocent, smile.

"You wouldn't. At least, nothing that would kill us or make it so that we were forced to rest for more than a few days. You are too eager to understand the full extent of your power to keep your opponents in bed for more than that." She snorted and sat up even straighter.

"Don't underestimate me, Hiei. I am very unpredictable," she said quietly. 

"I know what your thinking. Don't go after them. I am your opponent. No one else will get involved." Hiei glared at her. Her smile morphed into a smirk. "I will assure that they don't get in the way."

"Oh, but that wont stop me from interfering with them, Hiei."

"Don't," he growled. "I want you are your peak when we battle. Fighting you after you've already used energy just doesn't suit me."

"Oh, it doesn't suit you? But what's to stop me from doing it?" she asked with a flirtatious smile.

"You wont," he said, leaning his head against the tree's trunk and looking through the leafy branches. He could hear her mutterings at his answer. 

"You shouldn't be so confident that you know what I will do," she said gravely. "I'm not as predictable as you think. I could turn my plans upside-down in an instant if I felt like it. Then I'd like to see you predict what I will do. And don't even think that I couldn't or I wont. My mind is like the wind, never traveling the same path the same way twice. And just when you think you have it figured out, and found a nice draft to settle on, it changes, keeping your flight unsteady and hazardous. Watch your step, Hiei, before the wind sweeps you off your feet," she growled, standing. He looked at her a moment before she jumped down from the branches, landing on the soft earth with the ease of a cat. She looked back up at him just for an instant, turning just enough for him to see that her pendant, the coiled, black dragon with the sapphire eyes, was emitting energy for just a second. Its eyes burned cold and icy near her throat. The throat he should have slit two weeks ago. She turned and walked away.

"Hn. But there are some that can fly in even the most extreme of winds," he said to himself, settling back comfortably against the tree and closing his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Here's everyone's update! I'm thrilled to see new reviewers! -huggles new reviewers-

Yusuke: oh great -rolls eyes-

J: -eyebrow twitch- Yuuuusssssuuuukkkeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Yusuke: eep! -hides-

Hiei: -smirk-

Kurama: -chuckle-

J:-grumble- baka boy.

Yukina: J-san, you received reviews.

J: aww! Thanks Yukina! So nice. Unlike SOME people. -clears throat-

Yusuke: -snorts from hiding place-

J:-glare- anyway, we have new, as well as old reviewers speaking of their opinions of the story! Let's reply!

All: -rolls eyes-

Hiei's1girl- thanks for your loyal review! I appreciate it!

Miyako14- Welcome! thanks! Hope to see you in future chapters!

SilverKnight7-welcome! Thanks for your review. I suppose it is interesting…err. Yeah. ^_^ thanks again!

the Duck(www.SparklyBear7777@hotmail.com)- welcome! Lol. Rose was acting innocent b/c she knew she would fail getting her life back if she didn't! hehe, just in case you're confused. ^_^. Thanks for the review!

J: well, that's a lot! Yukina, for being such a dear about the reviews, you receive the honor of the disclaimer!

Yukina: thank you J-san. J-san does not own us. She does, however own Thorn, Rose and BlackFire.

J: until next time! Tata!

The purple button is your friend….press it! ^_^


	16. Hunting

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Sixteen: Hunting

"Shouldn't you be out looking for Thorn, Hiei?" Kurama asked one day, closing his bedroom door after a day at school. Hiei grunted from the tree outside the window.

"I was waiting for you to get back. I'm going to go see Koenma later," Hiei said.

"I thought you would. She stopped watching quite a while ago. I was wondering how long you would wait," Kurama said, placing his school bag next to his desk neatly. "I know that you are not very pacient."

"Hn."

*

"Hiei, what do you want? Have you found Thorn yet?" Koenma demanded, looking up hopefully from his desk.

"I need to get to America," Hiei said, ignoring the questions the prince had rudely aimed at him.

"So I guess that means you haven't found her yet." Koenma sighed unhappily. "Well, keep at it."

"How did she 'steal' this power that you talked about?" Hiei asked suddenly, the urge to have the question answered burning in his mind.

"I can't say anything because I'm not sure if she really stole it. I have another suspect, but I don't believe that they would take it. I'm still looking for information on her to prove that she stole it," Koenma explained with another sigh, his shoulders slumping over the mess of documents. "Oh, this is so stressful!" the toddler whined. Hiei cleared his throat.

"Oh, right. Ah, would you rather fly or there is a portal that you could go through," Koenma suggested. "But the portal is new and hasn't been tested yet." He looked at Hiei suspiciously a moment. "I think you should take the portal." (lol, doesn't trust Hiei on a plane without Yusuke or Kurama ^_^')

"Hn." 

Later that day Hiei arrived outside of Los Vegas. He had no clue where Thorn lived in America, although he did know that she did not live in the big city he was now in, but he knew that if he stayed in one place long enough she would come to investigate eventually if rumors passed as quickly in America as they did in Japan. Koenma had given him another purple box, which he opened to be covered in the fine dust once again. His ears adjusted to the new language and the voices around him. He had two weeks before the effect would begin to wear away, but it would take nearly a month before he would completely forget. But in those two weeks it wouldn't take long for him to begin to understand what they were saying naturally.

He looked around.

'All I have to do is start causing a commotion and she'll come running. Even if she doesn't think or know that its me, if she's really wants a challenge she'll look into anything,' Hiei thought, watching as the people around him babbled into cell phones and honked car horns in a traffic jam. 

'Hn. Humans. Disgusting,' Hiei thought bitterly, making his way through the crowds toward the hotel at which Koenma had made reservations for him to stay. 'I'd better find her quickly before these humans get on my nerves and I cause more trouble than I should. The question is, what attention-getter should I use?' he thought with a smile.

*

'It's Hiei. I know it is. Demons might exaggerate when they spread rumors, but they never lie and they _said_ short, with black hair, dressed in a black cloak with a white head band.' Thorn walked down the streets of Los Vegas, her stride long and purposeful. Her keen eyes darted around the busy streets, their vision as sharp as a hawks. Well, actually, they were a hawks. Shape-shifting definitely had its advantages, even to the girl in her human form. Her ears had been enhanced at one time, but the blaring of noises had forced her to actually dull her own human hearing, which was sensitive even without using her power. She saw a few demons, but their minds said they had not seen the youkai she was searching for and that they were living in peace with the humans that surrounded them. 

'Hn. Most demons would kill them in an instant if they knew that,' she thought with a small chuckle to herself. 'I wonder where he could be. Hm. I guess the first place I should check is the old hotel where they stayed last time they were here. That would be my best bet. Hm. Maybe Hiei will give me a chance to use some of my stalking and tracking skills today, and maybe I'll use some of my new speed skills that I've been working on since I left. Not that it matters. I'd rather fight than run any day.' She began to head in the direction of the hotel that the Spirit Detectives had taken residence in the last time they had come to the city, her face straight and blank. 

She walked into the hotel, and stood in front of the desk. She waited quietly, patiently, for a clerk, her eyes darting around the lobby, searching for the small demon.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked a tall, ugly, skinny boy in a hotel uniform, his face scared with memories of a difficult amount of acne. Thorn flashed him a bright smile.

"Why yes, actually," she said in a low, musical voice. "I was wondering if someone I know was staying here. Do you think you could find out for me?" she asked sweetly, the depths of her tone seductive. 

"Y-yes. I could find that out for you." He cleared his squeaking voice nervously and went over to a computer, typing in some unknown password and entering hotel files confidently. "What is this person's name?" 

"Hiei. H-I-E-I," she said. The boy gave her a quizzical look. 

"Do they have a last name?" he asked. Thorn thought a moment. "Jaganishi. J-A-G-A-N-I-S-H-I."

"Hm. I have one person by that name here," the boy said after scanning the computer screen for a moment.

"Could you tell me what room he's in, please?" she asked in a sweet tone. 

"I'm sorry, that information is confidential," the boy said, shaking his head. She glared at him a moment, giving him a guilty feeling and making him advert his gaze from her own depthless, blue one. Her expression changed suddenly.

"That's okay. Thank you so much for your help," she said with a smile. 

'Got it, room 128. Perfect. If I remember right, its on the east end of the hotel, right above the willow tree outside. Koenma is so predictable." She walked out of the hotel, looking out onto the street. She looked at the end of the building and, correct to her memory, there was a tall willow tree. 'I just have to hope that its short enough so that he doesn't see me. Invisibility is so difficult and it would just be easier if I can just shadow over. Hm. I think I'll walk around a bit first, just to see if I can pick up his energy signal anywhere,' she thought, walking along casually. She hid her energy completely, making sure that she looked like nothing more than a face in the crowd. No one looked at her twice, and no one was following her. 

Suddenly, she looked up. She looked around with sharp eyes before walking into a dark and shady alley. She looked around once again, making sure no one was watching her before her image shifted and molded. A white eagle stood where the girl had been, a black scar between its greenish yellow eyes. 

'Hm, I've only used this shape a couple of times. Lets see. I need to change the color. My normal white will stand out too much in dusk. Hm. Black would give BlackFire too much pride and the last thing I need is for you to get fresh,' she thought to a deep and proud 'hn' in her head. Her feathers began to blend a golden brown. 'Now let's go find him, BlackFire,' she thought, taking flight her wings fondling the wind. She flew straight and true, catching drifts and waves of wind under her broad wings. Caught up in the moment she gave a joyful screech to the dancing clouds as the sun's retreating rays played a cheerful and childish game. 

She flew into the nearly entirely set sun, following the faint trace of demonic power that drifted back to her. Her eyes reflected the soft glow on the clouds as she searched below her. She came to a dark, shadowed square behind a large business building. She could feel energy coming from the spot. She swooped once and circled twice, her enhanced eye sight picking up the cowering demon. She did not feel the one it was facing, but she had a feeling she knew who it was without looking. She perched atop the building, watching as the demon, which was hidden as a human, sweated beneath the gaze of the one in front of it. 

"Please don't hurt me," it whimpered in its squawking male voice. He crawled backwards, his terrified eyes darting around, looking for a way to escape. 

"Hn. I wouldn't waste my energy," came a deep and amused voice. Thorn turned her head, looking closer at the hidden demon that coward in the deepening hue on the cement. "I just want to know if you've seen a human girl with extraordinary spirit energy."

"N-no. I-I haven't. There's no one here like that. Please believe me! I don't want to die!" the other begged. The figure in the shadows paused into a contemplating silence. 

"Get out of my face," he said. The horror-stricken youkai replied instantly, scrambling to his feet and bolting away with only a nervous and untrusting glance back at it's interrigator. The figure shifted in the umbrage, but did not move forward. Curious, Thorn again took flight, landing on a street light near where the youkai stood cloaked in the stifling gloom. The light deepened the shadows around him, if not for the glowing of his Jagan eye, one would think he was nothing more than a black pool of befog. The Jagan's glow disappeared just as Thorn landed on the pole, but she had seen it. 

'Hn, he must have felt me watching him. He's looking for me all right. Well. Now I know the rumors are true. He's not killing, but he's scaring every demon in America senseless with threat. Even as far east as New York. No doubt farther,' Thorn thought to herself, balancing easily on the slippery pole as she watched him.

Dark had come swiftly and painted the streets cool blues along with shiveringly cold blacks, stretching dark fingers over the ground like sable-hued blood. The street lights gave the saturnine cement a heatless glow, giving the false impression of warmth under its rays. The sun's heated rays had disappeared, leaving the sky streaked with dark blues, feathers of clouds floating about with hope of morning's warmth. 

"I know someone is there. You can come out," came Hiei's deep and dangerous voice. He lifted his chin higher, letting his rouge eyes drift over the scene before him. 

Thorn's hooked beak did not move, but she smiled to herself. She swooped down from her perch, flapping her wings furiously as she landed on the ground. She turned her head to look at Hiei and opened her beak in a would-be grin. Her long talons clawed at the ground as she stepped forward awkwardly before her feathers were again bleached ivory and her form began to change into that of a humans.

"Hn."

"Don't even try to act surprised, Hiei. You knew that I would come as soon as I heard the rumors. Frankly, I applaud your strategy. Making me come to you instead of the way it should be," Thorn said with a smile. "But there was one flaw in your plan."

"Hn. There was no flaw to it. It worked out just as I planned it would," Hiei said, taking a step forward from the veil of penumbra. 

"Yes, well if I could had decided to go with my original plan of just swooping in and killing you, then your strategy wouldn't have been to well planned now would it?" she asked.

"Well you didn't. And that's what matters, not what could have happened," Hiei replied evenly.

"Hn. Well it looks like I'll have to change my plan of attack and make them more unpredictable, eh?" 

"Looks that way. Maybe you should make me think of a plan that requires more energy to come up with. This one was too simple. You make it too easy."

"Well, then I'll be sure to give you more of a challenge on that level… next time," she said.

"What makes you think that there will be a next time? I have orders to take you to Koenma immediately. No matter what means it takes to do it."

"Hiei, I can tell that you enjoy dragging this out just by the small smile I see growing on your face. You will take your time only because you have nothing better to do and Koenma is so busy researching who I am and all about me that he wont dare put you on another mission in case he needs you to apprehend me. You know this just as well as I do. There will be a next time," the girl said, the light to her left and right as well as behind her shinning against her green eyes, which laughed in amusement. 

"Hn. You shouldn't be so sure," Hiei said, his lips twitching into the smallest of smiles. 

"I am sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Hiei. Dusk would be the best time, when all the people of this city are in bars and casinos. There are less people in the mountains. That would be the best place for this battle."

"Who says we're going to fight? I was just going to capture you and then take you to Koenma."

"Hiei," Thorn said, looking at him with a you're-so-funny-but-stop-pretending look. "You know that I wont come without a fight. And I know that you're impatient for something to take your energies out on. Now let's see. There's a mountain just north of the city that is next to the desert. I'm sure that it would be a perfect place." Hiei shook his head with a smile. Thorn looked up to the sky, watching as the moon steadily rose. She froze suddenly, and jerked her head to her left, listening.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hiei. I have to go," she said before walking into the deep shadows next to the building and shifting back into a golden-brown eagle. She flew past him with a small cry, her wings giving off a warm breeze as she winged by with silent feathers. Her green eyes connected with his for just an instant before she rose into the dark sky, her shape disappearing in the darkness.

Hiei smiled before turning and walking back to the hotel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress Note: Goman-

Yusuke: you're a very bad author.

WHACK!

Yusuke: gaa @_@

J: -eyebrow twitches-

Yusuke: -rubs notting head- oww…

Kurama: what was it this time?

Hiei: A Christoper Pike book. -picks up book- -reads- The Last Vampire: Volume One

Kurama: ahh, reading it yet again, J-chan?

J: -taking deep, calming breaths- yeah.

Kuwabara: He's right, ya know, you haven't updated in a week.

J: -glare-

Kuwabara: -shrink away- I'm going to go fine Eikichi. -walks away slowly-

J: -sigh- I know, and I'm SOOO sorry to my reviewers and all my readers! -bangs head on desk-

Hiei&Kurama: -look at each other-

J: -wails- I will except threats for my inactivity!

Yusuke: will you shut up?! I have a friggin' headache. -rubs head-

J: -fume- I'll so you a 'friggin' headache'!! -lunges-

Yusuke: -squeal- HELP!

Hiei&Kurama: -sigh- -shakes head-

Kurama: I guess its up to us to do the disclaimer.

J: WAIT! -gets up from cloud-fight- we need to do reviews!

Kurama: true.

meghan(): thank you so much for your review! Yes, I will admit that the authoress' Notes do get a little…err… ecentric. ^_^

Miyako14: here's your update! Sorry it took so long! GOMAN GOMAN!

GOMAN NE TO ALL! I am sooooo sorry!

Yusuke: -rubbing bruised and aching head and rubbing black eye- yeah, you should be -grumbles-

J: -glare- 

Yusuke: ^_^ -crawls away-

J: I DON'T THINK SO! _YOU_ do the disclaimer!

Yusuke: -groan- do I hafta?

J: YES!

Yusuke: -sigh- J-chan owns only Thorn, BlackFire and Rose. There, happy?

J: -nods- very.

Yusuke: good, can I go now?

J: no! I still hafta beat the crap outta ya!

Yusuke: -runs away-

J: GET BACK HERE! -runs after him-

Hiei Kurama&Kuwabara: -Kuwabara, hidding in a corner with his kitty- what a fool.

Kurama: well, please review, we'd appreciate it.

Kuwabara: yeah, the sooner she gets done with this story, the sooner the torture stops. 

Hiei: and she'll update more if you review, so do so.

Kurama: please.

Kuwabara: PLEASE!!!!


	17. Dawning Impressions

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Seventeen: Dawning Impressions 

Hiei slept soundly that night. Dawn broke with smiling, ginger tainted eyes, yawning sleepily over a faraway mountain in the east. Warm sandy rays brushed Hiei's cheek as he watched the sun make its steady trek over the high peak from his window. His deep, vermilion eyes took in the beauty before him without expression.

Thorn awoke, well-rested, from the willow tree below Hiei's window. BlackFire hummed gently in her ear, ensuring her that he had masked their energy through the night and Hiei was not aware that they lay not two stories below the window he now looked out of. She stretched, opening her bright emerald eyes to the burning orb to the east. She was silent as she slowly stood up, her body swathed in the umbrage of the great tree. The great locks hung down near the ground, the velvety leaves like fallen tears along a frozen tear-streak. 

She jumped down from the tree with ease, walking around the west side of the building, making sure that Hiei's sharp eyes did not see her shaded form. She walked along the streets, humming a soft tune to herself. The streets were beginning to become cluttered with cars and people as she made her way into a nearby cafe. A waitress came and took her order a moment after she sat down. She crossed her booted feet beneath her chair, looking out onto the slowly thickening river of people on the sidewalk outside the window. Her long hair ran down her back, where BlackFire lay cloaked in an invisibility spell. Her mind wandered as she sipped a hot mug of steaming chocolate that the waitress brought a moment later along with a large, plain, doughnut. Coffee made her too paranoid and quick to act, clouding her judgment. Not to mention it made her way too cheerful, something BlackFire detested. She looked out on the awakening day solemnly, cupping her hands around the warm mug and watching the sun make its steady embark into the sky.

Hiei walked down the streets through the masses of people that swarmed the sidewalks like giant hordes of demons. Only the demons were more easily toleratable to be around and did not continually yelp and growl into electronics held to their ears. 

'This mission will be over soon enough. Even if I don't take her to Koenma today, I wont stay in this city any longer. Besides, it will be more fun if I draw this mission out for a while,' Hiei thought amusedly as he walked along. The hotel had accommodated for his breakfast with prompt room service and he was not out looking for Thorn. (A/N: Does he eat human food? I know he drinks coffee, but... yeah wateva) He had decided just to take a walk. He knew that she would appear at the designated area at dusk. But in the mean time, he had to find something to occupy his mind. He came upon a tall building to his right. 

'Hn,' he thought, leaping from a dark alley to the top of the building. 'A good place to wait out the day.'

Thorn walked from the cafe nearly an hour after entering it. People had begun to crowd in, waiting in line for orders to be taken and fulfilled. The amount of people made Thorn growl under her breath. She hated being crowded as such and so left after paying her small bill. She walked along the streets until she came upon a large park. 

'I can wait for dusk here,' she thought, sitting down on a wooden bench under the broad branches of a large oak tree. 'Meditation will do me some good,' she thought as she closed her eyes, breathing deeply and regularly. She sat up straight against the stiff bench, clearing her mind.

'Mistress, let me loose while you rest. You'll be more at ease if you know that I'm protecting us," came a deep and brassy voice, eager and sweet like a child trying to deceive a parent into doing something they wanted.

'No, BlackFire. I've very nearly _promised_ Hiei a fair battle, with both of us at our peak. If I release you I'll be using spirit energy. If I do that, it will be like breaking a promise. You know I never break a promise. Now let me meditate so I will be at my ultimate best,' she thought to her sword.

'But you can best him easily even with releasing me. You know that. Just your human spirit energy, which has increased greatly since we met and bonded, would be enough to give him a worthy fight. You know that from your training with him and Kurama. I still don't understand why you used only your human abilities when you trained with them,' came the huffy reply. He snorted. 

'You know why. If there came a time when we were separated I need to make sure that my abilities are compatible with theirs so that I could get you back. If Koenma really does find out who you are then we'll be in a lot of trouble. And if he were to somehow get you back, well, I just want to know that I can get you back before he locks you up and I never get you back unless Rose dies again. And I think that it would arouse suspicion if Rose were to suddenly die again and then, once more, you were to disappear. I wonder if he even knows she took you from his safe. Oh, how amusing. I do love keeping secrets from people that should see the truth that is sitting right in front of their face. Well, now let me concentrate. Keep watch,' she said, chuckling to herself. 

'No need. Hiei is at the top of a building on the east side of the city,' came the wise old voice unhappily.

'Well keep an eye on him anyway. Hiei's not one to make a large scene, but he's also not one to underestimate, a thing you have a tendency to do,' she said with a smile.

'Yes, Mistress,' came the humbled voice before retreating. Thorn sat back contently, enjoying the sun on her face as she cleared her mind. 

The day passed silently for both. Hiei, atop the tall building, watched people go about their daily business in the loud city. He'd never seen so many people rushing around a city. Even in the day the lights were bright and alive along the streets. Thorn, in the calm, quiet park, meditated in the silence. Birds flitted through the tree above her. She opened her eyes. She had been in her void for nearly five hours. She stood up, stretching in the afternoon sunshine. She walked down the street, she wasn't hungry, but the last thing she needed was BlackFire nagging like a mother about eating nothing when she had a battle in nearly nine hours. She would not eat before her battle, and so now she would have to consume a reasonable meal to enhance her healing abilities. Just in case. 

Hiei went back to the hotel to eat his own lunch. After an hour he was bored once more and so went back to the streets. 

Thorn, after eating her lunch, went back to the park. She walked around the park twice in an hour, loosening stiff muscles before once again taking her seat on the bench. 

*

Hiei opened his crimson eyes into the setting sun. 

'Time to go,' he thought. The sun's bottom edge began to drift behind the westerly horizon. With a quick leap he landed in a slowly shadowing alley. He walked purposefully to the north, hands in his cloak pockets. People walked around him with large steps, and cars flew past with high whines when not backed up or stopped at a sign or light. Once out of the city the crowds had disappeared, melting away into nothing. Hiei looked to the west, where the ground was lush with green, then to the east, where it began to fade into sandy brown of a desert. The mountain, which was hardly what one would call tall, lay straight ahead of him. Its top was rounded, looking more like a giant slug that of a jagged peak as most thought when concerning the normally monstrous structures of nature.

Hiei continued his quick pace. It was not dusk as of yet, but he did not know how long it would take him to find out where the girl was. If she wanted to pull a sneak attack he would rather it be with at least a bit of sun then in total darkness. But the darkness would be to his advantage. In his dark clothes he would blend in perfectly with the shadows. Not to mention the Jagan eye had no problems seeing in the dark. The only drawback to using it would be its lime-green glow. 

'No matter. This shouldn't take long,' Hiei thought. He stopped at the base of the mountain, looking up. 'She's here. I can feel her. She's not being secretive about where she is. Hn. Well that's just like her. She wants a battle face-to-face, none of this hiding and seeking shit that some demons pull.' 

Hiei walked up the mountain with a long stride, her energy signal bringing him to the western side of the mountain. About half-way up he walked into a steep clearing that lay on the face of the mountain's side. Thorn was there, sitting on the grass with her legs crossed and stretched out before her. Her arms supported her at her sides, bearing most of her weight. Her eyes were on the setting sun, which was less than half-way set, painting the sky warm and comforting colors.

"You shouldn't leave yourself so open to attack," Hiei said stoicly, walking up to her until he was not ten feet away. A safe distance, she would not be able to jump up and attack before he could avoid it.

"We're not fighting yet. Besides, I'm watching the sun set. Its not even dusk," she said.

"Hn. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't have attacked you if I had felt like it," he said, watching as the sun caressed her fawn-hued skin with bloody rays.

"Well, then I guess I would have had to jump up pretty quick is all. Sit down. I'm not moving," she said, her eyes on the tapestry of corals and amethysts as they danced about in the sky. Hiei did not move. Fifteen minutes passed. The sun continued its colorful farewell. Night creatures were beginning to stir around them.

"You might as well relax and sit down. It wont be dark for at least an hour and a half," Thorn said. She hadn't moved or blinked. BlackFire buzzed and vibrated quietly under the black-brown cascade of locks that rested on the soft earth. 

'I don't think so. She's not pulling me into a trap,' Hiei thought.

"I don't pull stupid stunts like that, Hiei. Have a little trust. You have done nothing to make me fight you yet and so I have no reason to attack. You seem to know that I don't attack without reason. Why don't you trust the information you have gathered and take a seat." Hiei's dark eyes glowered at her. It was silent. Finally, Hiei sat down, far enough away so that he could bolt out of the way of an attack if necessary and in a position that would help him leap up quickly. 

"Really, Hiei. You are too paranoid." Hiei did not answer. He looked straight ahead to the slowly darkening sky. They sat together for the hour it took for the last of the glow to diminish from the sky and the coolness of twilight to come about. Stars began to shimmer in the sky. Diamonds glittering in the sea of blues and blacks. The moon was bright, a smiling pool of wonder-filled, alabaster, light. The air took on a chill breeze, but the temperature was perfect in every aspect. 

Thorn's eyes had risen to look at the stars above them, taking in their bright beauty. A smile curved her lips. A smile that was strangely genuine. Hiei's eyes moved to glance at her, wondering. 

The nightly creatures sang gentle songs, blending the cool breeze with their warm songs. Even BlackFire was silent, seeming to enjoy the night. Or perhaps asleep, if he did such a thing. Neither of the two moved. Only the small zephyr touched them, making their hair sway with its gentle waves. The grass was a soft gray, bathed in the waters of the moon's fingertips. Neither offered a word as they watched to moon steadily rise and set in the sky as well as the stars shift position around them. Nor did they move. They waited. Waited for the other to make their move. Hiei thought he could outwait her, thinking of her inpatients on the last day of their training. But she never moved. Not even a twitch. Nothing. 

__

-Well this isn't the first time I say that people underestimate me far too often- 

Her words rang in his mind, from the first time they had met. 'Hn. Looks like I've underestimated her. No matter,' Hiei thought to himself, his eyes still intent upon her still form. He watched as he saw the shadows in area before him begin to lighten. Dawn was approaching steadily at his back. The night sounds were slowly being replaced by the murmurings of waking birds and the life of the day. 

Hiei looked at Thorn. Her smile was slowly fading, just as the darkness of the night was. Her eyes, which had reflected the moon and stars in their dark and valiant depths, were slowly fading into their bright chartreuse dye. Suddenly, the distance was thrown bright with the sun's first streaks of light, and Thorn's smile vanished. Her eyes changed too, they brightened, but in a morbid way that would churn the coldest of hearts. Except for his, of course, he told himself.

Hiei stood up, making Thorn move for the first time in nearly eight hours, turning toward him and blinking. He looked down on her as she turned forward once again. BlackFire hummed gently, now to be seemingly awake. Her expression grimmed and she gave a small nod. 

"Time for me to take you to Spirit World," Hiei said dully, looking down on her. 

"I'm not going anywhere until I feel like it, Hiei," she said, her voice blank. 

"You'll come with me if you know what's good for you."

"I know perfectly well what's good for me, and going with you will not improve my health, thank you," was her almost sarcastic answer.

"Then I must bring you there by force." He smiled. "I will enjoy this," he said. Thorn sighed and climbed to her feet slowly. She stretched and yawned once before turning to him. 

"Just to let you know, you cannot kill me."

"Yes, I remember what you said. BlackFire will not let you die."

"No. You cannot try to kill me either. If I were to die, Koenma would be held responsible for the death of an innocent. I'm sure that it would not be a pretty picture for you or him if that were to happen."

"Who said you were innocent?"

"Who said I was guilty? Until you have proof that I _stole_ this _power_ that you talk of, I am an innocent. You have nothing pinned against me other than a sneaking suspicion." She crossed her arms.

"That's good enough for me," Hiei grunted. 

'But is it really, Hiei? To forbid one just because others are fearful of you? Of what you could possibly do to their future? Just like what the Ice Apparitions did?' Thorn thought to herself, frowning. But she was silent. Finally, after about three minutes of nothing but the chirping of birds to fill the void, Thorn turned away. 

"Good-bye, Hiei. I must be home by noon and traveling from one coast to the other takes time. Not to mention I need sleep. I enjoyed having your company. I'm sure this wont be the last time we see each other." She turned her back to him, waving over her shoulder. Hiei narrowed his eyes, a smile fleeting to face. In a flash he was in front of her.

"You don't think I'm just going to let you go, do you?" he asked. Thorn gave him a huffy look. 

"Let me go, Hiei. Or I'll be forced to push you out of my way," she said, smiling slightly herself.

"I'd like to see you try," Hiei said, his smile widening slightly, tracing into a smirk. 

"Well then, lets see." Thorn's hand went to the back of her head, tying her hair back with a leather thong. She brought an empty right hand straight out beside her, palm facing toward him. A bright light flashed in her hand, long and thin. When the light passed, she held her staff in her hand. Her right foot strayed behind her, lowing her already-short body closer to the ground. She held her staff in front of her, her eyes laughing as she looked at him. 

"Let's," the youkai said, drawing his sword. They waited. And waited. And waited. The sun's rays were just beginning to creep into the edge of the clearing when they moved.

"I grow tired of this," Hiei said, slashing forward with his sword. Thorn dodged with her usual ease. 

'She's faster,' Hiei noted. 'It doesn't matter. I'll get her.' He followed her, his sword flashing easily in the sunlight, brushing her skin once, but never marking it. 

"Quit running around," he said at last. "You'll never get any better by running away."

"Oh, so now you're giving me tips, Hiei? Well I guess I could take your request," she said with a laugh. A real laugh. One that said she enjoyed every second of the battle.

She stopped her swooping and planted her feet, her staff held at ready, smiling. Hiei charged in and her staff shifted into an immediate defensive position, its face turned toward Hiei's oncoming sword. 

'Wrong move,' Hiei thought with a smirk. 'I've got you now.' He thrust with his sword, right under her staff's head, near the bottom of her throat.

"What?" he gapped. Thorn's smile grew. Hiei's sword lay trapped in the space between her crescent and star head to her staff, its hilt bringing its glide to an abrupt halt as it connected with the golden metal, not inches from her throat. She wrenched her staff around, tearing the katana from his grasp. It flew into the sky, the sun's rays glinting blindingly off its metallic surface. It landed twenty feet away, its blade imbedded in the earth nearly four deep inches. Thorn's crescent half of her staff flew to Hiei's throat, but the fire youkai ffitted (there's the sound!) away. Thorn cut him off before he could reach his sword.

"Hn, impressive," he said with a smirk. She smirked as well.

"You have no idea, Hiei," she replied. Her imaged fluttered into the shadows, disappearing and making Hiei take up his ultimate guard. He sped forward to retrieve his sword, but a coolness against his throat made him stop dead. Thorn's staff lay against his neck, her left hand resting on his left shoulder. 

"Really, Hiei. You've seen my magic more than just once. I would have thought you would have figured out how it worked by now," Thorn whispered in his right ear from behind his. Her voice was bathed in amusement. Hiei did not move. But in his mind he was smiling. Yes, this was the challenge he had been waiting for. 

Suddenly, he disappeared from under her grasp. Thorn bolted forward. She had felt it with her free hand, for that had been its purpose. But she was not nearly as swift as the boy and he stopped her with his sword's point. She stopped short, the point just under her chin, as she looked up from its sharp blade to its welder. Her green eyes danced excitedly, her smirk growing. 

"You should expect the unexpected," Hiei said calmly, looking down on her from behind his sword, his own eyes dancing. 

"I did expect it. I just didn't have enough time to prepare is all," she replied. She flew backward suddenly, away from the tip of the katana, landing expertly on one knee. She looked up, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Hiei ran forward, his sword held in position for an attack. He slashed twice, the first grazing Thorn right below the throat, yet not drawing blood. But the second attack was warded off, putting them in a death lock, the sword's hilt against the base of the staff's crown. They stared at each other, testing the other's strength, smiles on both their faces. Their strength was....equal. 

'No way. How can a mere human have this much strength?' Hiei thought in shock. 'It is possible for her to have great amounts of spiritual energy, but not this much brute strength! Hn. A challenge, that's for sure,' Hiei thought grimly. Thorn's expression changed, just slightly. With a great surge of power, she pushed forward, centering her force upward. Hiei's footing faltered, and the girl took that instant to strike his left ankle with the end of her handle. Hiei fell backward, but refused to fall, using his free hand to twist into a back flip, landing on his left knee, his left hand centering him on the ground. 

Thorn bolted forward, using the moment of his unsteadiness to her advantage. Hiei brought his sword up just in time to ward off the vicious attack from the girl. He gritted his teeth against the strain of her pushing her weight down on his blade and upper body. He kicked out with his right leg in an attempt to catch her left foot and trip her. Thorn saw this and jumped up, using Hiei and his sword as a solid object to push off of as she leaped at least sixteen feet in the air, flipping over backwards and landing squarely on the balls of her feet, holding her staff in front of her body. Hiei rushed forward, hoping to get a hit in before she rebounded from her jump. But he had no such luck. Thorn rose her staff before dropping it down on the speeding youkai, forcing him to bring up his katana in a block. 

'I don't like this. I hate taking to the defensive,' Hiei thought, the metal of both weapons grinding against each other in high whines. 'I need to catch her unaware if I'm to even get a hit in.' 

He pulled back from her staff quickly, her last-minute swipe slicing the front of his cloak neatly, but shallowly. He jumped up, disappearing in the glare of the morning sun, which had slowly made its way higher in the sky without their knowing. Thorn looked up, but the sun blinded her. BlackFire hummed just slightly and the smirk on her face, which had fallen slightly at his disappearance, brightened. Her eyes changed slightly, adjusting to the sun's fierce rays. She smiled. He wasn't in the sky anymore, she knew.

'Well, I'll just have to humor him,' she thought. She steadied her position. Instead of watching for an attack, she closed her eyes, depending on her hearing to help her. Using her powers once was her limit for this match. Her shadow skill had been shown, and that was the last she would use her powers. The rest of the match would be pure skill with their weapon of choice. They both knew the rules of the match without saying a word. It was not to the death. A battle more for their amusement than anything. Once blood was drawn, or one was to go powerless, the match would be over. But neither were to suffer. The lines were clearly drawn, and both respected the lines with dignity.

With hardly a sound, Hiei rushed in from behind her, his katana held ready to strike. But Thorn heard that little sound he made and turned to face him. She knew that his speed was swifter than her own and she would not be able to bring her staff up in time to stop the attack.

'You almost caught me, Hiei,' she thought. She dropped her staff and did a series of back handsprings and flips, trying, and succeeding by a hair's breath, to avoid his various attacks. 

'She can't keep this up forever. And when she stops she'll be at my mercy. She has no weapon to protect her now,' Hiei thought confidently, continuing his relentless attack on the girl, who spun and twisted in the air to avoid the biting point of his sword. After just a few ground-covering flips they were in the forest, making it harder for the girl to judge her position. This vivid action continued so what seemed far more than just the two and a half minutes it was. Thorn's energy began to diminish, slowly, but surely. They had slowly circled the small clearing, leaping up the steepness of the mountain. 

'I don't think so, Thorn. I wont let you get back to your weapon,' Hiei thought, cutting her off before she reached the lighted patch of treeless ground. She growled before pausing just slightly on her arms and pushing herself upward onto a tree branch. She landed easily, but bolted to the next without looking to see if Hiei was following. He cut her off before she entered the clearing once again, making her jump to higher, thinner, branches of the trees. Every time before she made the final leap into the clearing the fire youkai cut her off. She was still smiling, just slightly. Most, by now, would have panicked, using their energy in a desperate attempt to run away from the katana. But Thorn stayed calm, seeming to enjoy the extra challenge of being defenseless. She flew from tree to tree, watching as Hiei followed out of the corner of her eye, not gaining, even though they both knew he could come in for the strike at any time. He was waiting. Wondering how she would get out of this mess. She smirked. 

'If that's what you're waiting for then I will not keep you in suspense any longer,' she thought. She was three trees in from the clearing. Easy enough. Her image blurred, her powerful legs thrusting her upward, into the morning sky. The sun played the same trick on Hiei's eyes as it had done on hers. When his eyes did adjust to the brightness of the light, it was too late. She was already gone. Hiei looked toward the clearing. Nothing. Literally. Nothing.

'Hn. Looks like I gave her too much time. She's got her staff,' he thought. 'Well, it seems she's wait-' His thoughts were cut off as he heard the tell-tale whine of metal hissing through the air. He felt the wind from the strike and tried to step to the side before it hit, but he was not quick enough. Her silence had caught him off guard, not giving him enough time to move out of the way, even with his superior speed. He felt the blood as it began to trickle down his back. A small wound. 

They both jumped to the ground of the clearing, Hiei holding his small wound on his left shoulder with his right hand, his left hand returning his sword to its sheath. Thorn landed easily, although the acrobatics had tired her considerably, facing Hiei. 

"Hn. Not too bad," Hiei said, standing straight and tall. Thorn nodded from her distance of eight feet away.

"You're not too bad yourself, Hiei," she said, using her staff to straighten. They stood there, both panting slightly, Thorn more than Hiei, but not exhaustedly so, looking at each other. The sun resumed its laborious crawl, splashing over the two beings with its soft, young light. 

After about two or three minutes, Thorn opened her right palm, which was holding her staff, letting the smooth wood rest against her hand. There was a small flash of light, which retreated into her hand, and the staff was gone. She stepped forward, her eyes straying to the shoulder of the cloak, which was beginning to darken with his blood. 

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked, watching her with eyes that had suddenly lost their amusement and grown suspicious. 

"What do you think? I can't leave you wounded. Even though I made the wound in my self-defense, its not right," she replied, stopping before him. 

"And so now you're helping your enemies. Hn."

"Who said I was helping my enemies? I am only helping you."

"You don't seem to realize that I _am _an enemy. Although I cannot hand you over to Koenma now, with my injuries, what makes you think that I will stop trying to get you to Koenma?" Hiei asked, looking straight into her eyes. She looked back and smirked at the expression in his eyes.

"Because you enjoy the hunt," she replied quietly, her eyes deep and bright. "If you wont let me heal you, which is reasonable, because Koenma would begin to wonder, then at least let me dress the wound. Getting you sick would hardly do me any good, and infections spread fast in the human world."

"Hn. I can take care of it," he said, adverting his gaze to his right. Thorn straightened, trying to look down on the youkai, yet their height was nearly the same, and she failed miserably. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You're so stubborn. Just like at the turnamate. You didn't trust me then either. Sometimes you need to have a little faith, Hiei. Not everyone is out to kill you as soon as you let your guard down an inch. And I'm sure as hell not going to kill you. That would take all the fun out of the hunt, don't you think?" she asked with a small smile. 

"I guess it would," he said, glancing back at her. She suddenly had a clean white cloth in her hands, no doubt using the same trick with it as she had with her staff, asking him if she could tend to his wound. He didn't move for a moment, still unsure. He knew that he could not bandage the wound himself, it stretched too far down his back and over his shoulder blade, and to consult Kurama would almost be shameful.

"I will have your hands as a prize if you try anything," he said darkly, removing his torn cloak. The wound was hardly deep, although not shallow, but it was long and clean. It took her only a few moments to tend to the slice, cleaning and bandaging it with ease. Her fingers, Hiei noticed, with reluctance, were tender as she tended the wound. Their tips were soft, even through the calluses that rittled them, suggesting that she trained long and hard. They stroked his skin gently with the cloth, working quickly and efficiently, not wasting any energy with unneeded clumsiness. They were long and graceful, all-knowing to where the pain would lay if touched, and they avoided it with ease, clearly not wanting to make the fire demon feel its cringing sting. Finally, after about ten minutes, she stood up from where they had knelt, wiping the small amount of blood from her hands onto another white cloth. 

'It seems she was prepared to draw blood all along, although not kill,' Hiei thought as he, too, stood. With a sigh she turned away, pulling the leather thong from her hair as she walked, letting her locks fall feather-like over BlackFire, who hummed sulkily. 

"I will just hunt you down again. But I'm sure you are well aware of that," Hiei said with a small smile, standing up himself. 

"You hunting me? Do you not remember that it was I that found you?" she asked, stopping and looking over her shoulder with an upraised eyebrow, a coy, disbelieving look on her face.

"Hn. Did you forget that I drew you here?"

"Hm. Yes. Well then, I suppose we are even then."

"I will follow you. Its my job," he said, looking toward her, into her unnaturally bright eyes. 

"Oh I look forward to it, Hiei. But to make sure that you _do _follow me, take this," she said, turning back around and pulling from an unseen pocket a textured paper. Hiei took it, looking at her quizzically. It held the same symbol as the one she had given Koenma. The red and black rose with their vines intertwined around the hardly noticeable, silvery outline of the sword was centered on the paper. "I'm sure I'll regret it in the future, but I like living with a constant reminder that there is always a chance I'll be defeated. Keeps one humble, don't you think?" she smiled. "It'll help you find me. Now I have to go back home before someone gets suspicious." 

Hiei looked up from the card, watching her as she left. 

"How does it wor-" he began, but Thorn had retreated into the shadows of the morning, leaving him alone with a breeze that rustled through the leaves of the trees. "Hn." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Hello all!

Yusuke: you suck at updating on time…

THWAK!

Kurama: -sigh- Yusuke, you really must learn not to insult her.

Yusuke: -glowering- ouch! -rubs head- what did I say?

Hiei: -shakes head- he'll never learn, don't waste your breath, Kurama.

Keiko: Yusuke, you're such a jerk!

Kuwabara: Yeah, Urimeshi, you should know better by now.

J: look at that, everyone, EVERYONE, knows not to pester me about that crap! -snort-

Yusuke: hn, well its true… geez that hurt

All: -shakes head- baka,

J; but I am really sorry for yet another late update! I'm been trying to get this out since Thursday, when I normally post, but nothing's been cooperating with me! Agg! And this chapter is kinda bad, but I'm too lazy to fix it.

Shizuru: Oi, J-chan, ya got reviews…

J: oh! yea! Awsomeness, let us reply!

  
  
SilverKnight7: -blush- I really am sorry, SilverKnight7. You reviewed just an hour later than I posted! soo sorry. I've been shopping lately and stuff so I haven't had a lot of time on my hands like normal. ^_^ I'll try to keep the updates swift! but thanks for the reminder!

RoseWhip of the Darkness Flame: lol! Yeah, I have a bad habit of puttin' lots of talking into battle scenes, example, this chapter! ^_^. Frankly, I find it a good time to find out about someone and discover secrets and stuff :X must not say more or I'll spoil the next fighting scene!

Kurama: well you did just give away the point that there _will_ be another fighting scene…

J: whoops…-blush- well, you were bound to find out…

Anywhoo.. Hope you break free from your 'evil entertainment stealing slavedriver woman a.k.a your mother'. lol. I got a kick outta that. And the party favor thing too! Loved it! ^_^ thanks for the pride! And 16 wasn't very talky I guess… glad you liked it! Goman ne.. I had already written this chapter by the time I got your review, I just haven't been online to post it! Gaa! Or else I would have edited it. I still should, but again, I'm too lazy! Oh, and the revealing of secrets comes later in the story. Never fear, for it is all planned and outlined, just ready to be pieced together! And I watched Pirates of the Caribbean today, and Johnny Depp is pretty cool! I like him 'dead' as the pirate… and drunk too! ^_^ 

Well, back on task, after the fight scene we do discover a little bit about Thorn… it should be exciting! 

baka-chibi-puffs: lol! Thank you for your wonderful and… hyper-seeming review. ^_^ well, I hope your readers perform a 'nice' form of torture to make you review. Theses guys keep bugging me because they say that _I'm _torturing them. -huff- yeah right, we the authors are doin' all the work! And yay to the cheezy cake…or something like that ^_^ (lol, j/k… Cheese to the Cake I know, its so kawaii!

Kuwabara: geez, took ya long enough.

J: shut-up! Anyway, enjoy and until next time! Kuwabaka, disclaimer!

Kuwabara: aww.. -pout- damn. Yeah, well, J-san dun own us, thankfully. But, ya know, she does own that creepy enemy… or something like that, of ours, Thorn… and her swordy-thing BlackFire… oh yeah, and Rose, from the beginning.

J: good boy. Now, tata until next week!

Review please!!


	18. In From the Storm

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Eighteen: In from the Storm

"Hiei. Back so soon from your mission?" Kurama asked as he glanced up and saw the black-cloaked youkai in the tree branches outside his window. 

"I went to let Koenma know that I found her," Hiei replied, looking through the leaves of the tree with his usual blank face.

"And you told him?"

"Yes." 

"And what did he have to say about it?" the boy asked curiously. 

"Not a lot. Just to keep her in my sights until I could capture her. He seems to think that once he finds out if she stole this power, she'll run."

"You don't?"

"No," Hiei replied simply, his tone confident. 

"Is there a reason why you think that she wont run?" Kurama questioned.

"Yes. She's looking for a challenge and she knows that we are basically the most powerful she could ever find. She's looking for challenges to make her better. She thrives on her strength like it was air. She will not run," Hiei concluded. 

"Do you think she stole the power?" the kitsune asked, raising his eyebrow in question. 

"I don't know. There's not enough information on her to prove that she's ever done anything wrong," was his reply. Hiei gave a slight shrug. "For all we know, she's a total innocent that is wrongly accused. Sometimes, the way she acts, you could swear that she's never harmed another or done a wrong in her life. But there are those other times when she is so ruthless you would swear with your life she had the power to destroy the world without a blink, and not care. You can't get a clear reading of who she is. She has too many faces."

"It seems you have studied her extensively," Kurama said in his quiet voice, watching for the fire youkai's reaction to the accusing statement. Hiei nodded slightly, but his face did not betray what he was thinking as Kurama had hoped.

"Yes." 

"And have you found a weakness in her?" 

"That's the problem. She has many weaknesses, but she always makes up for them with a quick plan that you can't seem to fight against. She shows you her weakness almost openly. Her speed is a weakness, but with this 'magic' she has, she can disappear, which means it must be some kind of transparency, making her able to walk through walls and the likes. But I haven't found any other flaw in her that would help us. Everything she does is planned and well thought out. You've seen her fight. You would probably know more about her fighting style than me, but I have seen that she only uses a limited amount of energy. Almost as if she'd rather fight hand-to-hand than with her spirit energy." He shrugged slightly again. "But you already knew that. All I seem to be able to tell you is what you already know."

"Hm. Yes, I suppose so."

"I should be going. I need to make sure I don't loose her energy signal. It would take too long to find her again," Hiei said, using his right hand to stand up on the tree branch, making him realize for the first time that if she had struck his right arm, he would not be able to hold his katana. He snorted at the thought that she let him go still able to fight with just a minor healing. 

'She's too soft,' he muttered to silently himself. 

"Hm. Yes. Good luck to you, Hiei," Kurama said. Hiei nodded before ffitting (such a cool sound) away, the kitsune watching his retreat with a thoughtful expression. 

*

Hiei watched a young woman from the shadows of a thickly branched maple tree. She laughed openly in what looked to be a dinning room with a large picture window in which Hiei looked, but the laughs rang hallow to his ears. She smiled, but they were pitying smiles, mocking the humans that surrounded her with a scorn that was evident to the demon. Her eyes were mysteriously bright, but reflected an unseen smirk, their bottoms hinting they knew an untold story. A story that only she knew, a story she kept with a proud rise to her chin. She knew something unknown to those around her. Unknown to the worlds she had traveled in. Unknown to the all-knowing and powerful. A secret that she wasn't about to tell. 

Hiei looked down at the card in his hand. The silvery outline of the sword was bright and shinning, its edges brushed with the faintest of blue. 

'Her magic worked. I didn't even need to ask how to use it. It pointed right to her. Hm, she's really asking for trouble with these kind of gadgets. It almost makes you wonder-' Hiei began to think, but shook his head and returned to look in the large window. The people that surrounded Thorn laughed gaily, unaware of the power that sat next to them in a cloud of superior separation. She sat in her wooden, polished, chair, sitting back with her arms crossed, her eyes suddenly gaining a far-away, phlegmatic, look. She suddenly looked up, the corners of her lips twitching with the slightest of movement as she looked out the large window in front of her. 

Hiei froze as her eyes seemed to stare through the tree, into the mountain behind him. But something caught her attention and she turned her head with a painstakingly false smile. 

Hiei let out a quick breath. He watched as Thorn got up and turned her back to the window to open a cupboard in the kitchen behind her. He bolted to another tree, and onto the roof, until jumping a grand fifty feet across a quiet country road to the trees on the other side of the house. By then, the girl had returned to her seat at the table, talking with the people around her. Hiei sighed and watched through a small window in the kitchen at the swaying brown locks. 

'That was close. I wonder if she really saw me. No. My camouflage was perfect. She probably felt like she was being watched. Its been three days. I'm just a little on edge that she hasn't found me out yet,' Hiei thought, still watching her intently. 

Finally, after another hour, four people exited the house, and Hiei was forced to leap to another tree as Thorn walked onto the porch, waving an over-blithe hand toward the retreating two cars. Just as a precautionary, he thought to himself as he watched the girl return to the house. 

The night fell gently upon the rolling countryside, taking the tips of the trees and darkening, as well as lengthening them into severe, craggy points of shadow, the sun blowing their tops onto others, making them longer with time as the sun retreated. Gullies and dips in the mountains turned to murky pools of abyss, their soft edges mingling with the jagged tips of a small group of pine trees, as well as the bulbous tops of maples and other trees. The sun disappeared behind the horizontal boundary in the distance fluidly, melting like bloody pool of sickly, feverish, red light behind its wall. Low clouds, pregnant with rain, sauntered into the cozy little valley, pushing out the normal, brushing strokes of the sun's reflecting emulsions rudely. 

Hiei looked up at the clouds from a large elm tree across the road, shifting his position under a thick cluster of branches and his cloak in preparation for the coming rain. 

"Make sure you close the windows before it rains!" came a deep, yet strangely familiar feminine voice, only pitched higher than the musical chime that the fire youkai associated it with. Hiei looked up to see a fairly tall woman on the porch, purse in hand, shouting back into the house while scratching through the bag, looking for something. 

"Don't worry about it," came a exasperated voice from inside. Thorn's voice. 

"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow, honey." The woman turned away, finding the keys she had been looking for, and walked toward a large car. She got in and turned it on, making the engine rumble and spit before grumbling steadily. She pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street. 

Hiei, curious, jumped from tree to tree until he was again facing the back of the house, looking into the large window. Thorn walked away from the screen door, which, he noticed, she left unlocked. She then proceeded toward a sliding glass door that lay in the dining room, to Hiei's right, connected to a porch. She unlocked the door and stepped outside a moment, picking up a large yellow cat from under a picnic set and bringing it inside. She did not lock that screen as well, leaving the glass door open. 

'She must feel very secure if she leaves all the doors in her house unlocked,' Hiei thought, watching curiously as she held the cat in her arms, stroking it quietly, her hands just as gentle on the soft fur as they were when she had bandaged his wound. Hiei shook his head of the thought, watching as she put the cat down and continued to her right, walking down a set of stairs. He moved to a closer tree, the maple he had been in before, looking down on a door below him that, no doubt, led to a room connecting to her own. But the shades were drawn on both the door and the two other windows he had access to. Another window to the right of the door was protected with blue curtains making the room barely visible through the misty shield. Another window, to the right of that one, was also enclosed by shades that closed out the light. 

Suddenly, the door he had formerly been observing opened and Thorn stood there, dressed in her usual black leather. Her dog came up to her and greeted her feverishly with an exuberant display of tail-wagging and whines. She crouched down and gave the dog a few pats before it ran off to the far corner of its pen. She straightened and looked up toward the ever-darkening sky and threatening clouds. 

"Its going to storm tonight," she said out loud. "A bad night to sleep in the trees, Hiei. Three nights sleeping in trees. I would hardly think that would be comfortable. And the rain will be harsh. No tree around here can keep you dry. I've left my doors unlocked, Hiei, so that you could take my unnatural hospitality and come in from the rain. This door will remain unlocked as well. There's a futon here on my left. You may use it if you please." Silence burned around them as Hiei stared at her dumbly for a moment. 

'I should have known I couldn't keep myself hidden from her. Her psychic abilities are too powerful,' the youkai thought, shaking his shock away with a cold shrugging motion. He wondered if he should reveal himself or stay hidden. 'She might just be bluffing. No, she knows I am here. There is no use in hiding anymore.' He leaped down from his perch, landing easily on the porch's wooden railing, his balance as perfect as ever. Her dog ran up to him, yet remained a safe distance away, watching him uneasily, seeming to feel the power coming from him. 

"How long have you known I was here?" he asked. She looked at him.

"Since you got here. I take it my map worked fine?" she asked, shrugging away the question smoothly.

"Yes." 

"Good," she said, nodding and looking up to the ever-darkening sky. Thunder bellowed over them, thick clouds swarming in from the north as well as the south, their heat and coolness mingling together to form one large cloud, which roared mighty waves of thunder, as well as flickers of smiling lightening. "The storm is moving in quickly. Wont you come inside?" Hiei glanced at a bolt of lightening from the corner of his vermilion eyes. He didn't say anything. 

"C'mon then. Better get inside before it starts to rain," she said, turning and motioning him inside with a wave of her hand. Her mood had changed from that afternoon. She was no longer in her false, happy mood, but her true, calm, quiet and amused mood. The mood that was the real Thorn. 

Hiei didn't move a moment. Thorn turned around and looked at him from the doorway when he did not follow, giving him a questioning glance. 

"Why are you doing this? I don't understand why you are being so kind to someone you know will eventually cause you harm," Hiei said curiously, but his voice was blank, holding its usual darkness in the undertones. 

"Because I'll never get any better without challenges, and the last thing I need is to have to search another after you get burnt to a crisp because you were sitting in a tree during a lightening storm, watching me and got struck down by lightening. That just wouldn't due. It is very hard to find someone like you, Hiei, who fights the way you do. Not holding back, but trying your hardest to bring out the full potential in the one you are fighting. Not to mention, Koenma would probably get very upset and sic Yusuke on me. Then I would get angry. You might have noticed that our personalities don't exactly mix very well. And Kurama, well, sometimes he's just too kind for his own good. Now Youko I might find an interesting challenge, but not like you, Hiei, not like you," she concluded, giving a small shake of her head. Hiei gave her a weary look. "Now," she said, continuing before Hiei could say anything. "Are you coming inside? Its starting to sprinkle." 

*

Hiei watched her from the corner of the room, sitting on the edge of the futon she had offered him. She was banging lightly on this square plate, staring at a box that sat on top of a wooden desk. The glare from the screen reflected off thinly rimmed glasses. 

'Why would she wear glasses? She can change her eyes at any time to suit her vision's needs,' Hiei thought to himself.

"Because I do not like wasting my energy like that. I'd rather just wear these," she replied to his thoughts, still typing on the box Kurama had called a computer. "Although I am impressed, your guarding skills have improved since the last time I hacked into your mind." Hiei growled slightly and glared at her. 

"I don't like it when you do that," he said with a snap. 

"No one ever does," she said with a smirk. 

"Then you should stop."

"I can't, its too amusing." They turned silent. Hiei didn't feel like arguing. He was too tired.

"You should have gotten more sleep last night," Thorn said suddenly. Thunder rolled over the house, making it tremble with the force. "You're tired."

"I'm fine," Hiei growled, crossing his arms and looking out the newly-opened shade on the door beside him. Lightening licked the sky, followed by the predictable thunder. He looked around the room. Across from the futon was a TV, which sat on a tall wooden stand with doors beneath it. It was a metallic blue and under its shelf sat a long, black box, and under that another black box, but much squarer. A cassette stuck out of its mouth like a mocking tongue. They were precariously clean, but one could tell that they had not been touched for entertainment purposes in months. The time flashed on its surface in bright orange numbers. 10:32. 

Next to the center was the desk at which Thorn sat, tapping on the keyboard religiously, her back straight against the straight-backed chair and her ankles crossed beneath it. Her eyes were expressionless, blank pits of void that stared into a white screen, and the wall in front of her was just as bland and undecipherable. A creamy white with dark green boarder securing the perimeter of the small sitting room, stopping above her. Beside her right was a thick curtain of, what looked like, plastic willow branches dividing the room in half. But they were dark blue and instead of leaves, they held stars and moon crescents along their length. Behind them, Hiei could barely make out dark navy walls, silver painting the trim. On the wall to her right was a silver stenciling of some creature rearing up regally, icy blue eyes glaring at him from behind the wall of beads from above a bed. He looked at it harder. Yes. It was. A dragon. Hiei's eyes widened. The Black Blaze?

"Why a dragon?" Hiei asked, turning his attention to the girl typing not ten feet from the image. Thorn did not turn toward him, nor glance at him, as she continued to type, showing no sign at all that his question was unexpected. 

"It is my trainer's crest," she said quietly. "My trainer said I would be the next dragon of destruction and so passed it to me. The year my twin-, I mean, the year I was born was the year of the dragon and it is said that the year of your birth helps determine the strength of your spirit energy, as well as its abilities. You know that dragon's are powerful, your most powerful attack is a dragon, and is undefeatable, even by you, its welder." Lightening flickered, illuminating the room with its derring-do light, followed doggly by its partner, which barked a deep echo. "He told me all about the Black Blaze. He said I would be just as powerful, and just as famous. He said he would teach me everything he ever knew about the power of the dragon and that I would weld that power." Lightening and thunder warred in the sky, both illuminating the house and making it quake. Hiei watched her expression, which did not change. Rain began to patter on the window, streaking its glass mournfully as it was dragged downward, clawing at the smooth surface in a desperate attempt to stay where it had landed. They reflected the gnarled fingers of lightening as they tried desperately to grasp the earth in sickly contortion through the drop's refractors.

Thorn turned off the computer's monitor and got up from her seat. "You take your coffee black, don't you? If you insist upon staying up all night once again then I'll fix you a cup," she said, pushing in her chair and making her away past the futon, into the hallway that lay to Hiei's right. He remained silent. She walked away, and he could hear her turn on the coffee maker in the kitchen and the opening of cupboards after a few moments. 

Hiei stood up and walked to the other side of the room. He stood a moment before the wall of plastic, contemplating entering. After a hesitating second, he lifted a hand, pushing away the curtain and stepping into the dark room. He turned to his left, facing the bright stencil on the wall. Lightening ripped through the dark house, giving the bright, ice-tinged, chasms life, and shadowing the silver scales and giving the silver claws a threatening gleam, like the points of knives as their deadly tips. From its mighty jaws thundered an enraged roar, its breath hot with fire that never breached its lips nor heated its glinting fangs. It looked down on him menacingly, its shape seemed to dance in the fluttering of light, its tail a coiling, snake-like whip that lashed at the air with anger behind muscled haunches. Hiei's eyes widened and his jaw dropped just slightly. He could have sworn life had come to the painting. He stepped forward, putting his hand on the creature. It was....warm. True, it was becoming slightly warm in the room since the storm had began, but-....no. Such thoughts were foolish. Hiei shook his head and took back his hand. It was a painting once again, the life gone from its proud eyes that looked down upon him. Its serpentine body was unmoving, forever frozen in its roil pose on the sky-shaded background. Hiei backed away, giving the dragon another long glance before turning away and walking back to resume his position on the futon. 

"Do you like it?" Thorn asked, startling him out of a semi-daze. She stood in the doorway of the room, her hands grasping a steaming mug.

"Like what?" he asked dumbly.

"I painted it myself. My tw- I mean, I seem to have a talent with a pencil and brush. He-My family says I give life to the lifeless with my hand. They say such artistry is rare. They say it is appealing to the eye and it inspires emotions they cannot place. Hn. How easy it is to please human feelings," Thorn said with a small laugh. Hiei picked up the cup she had placed on a small table in front of him as she had spoken. She stared blankly at the picture he had examined, her bright eyes gaining, once again, that stare that looked as if it went right through the thing that it viewed. Lightening brightened her face as she sat on the wooden arm of the futon, her arms holding onto the sides of the wood, her legs crossed. It glittered in the endless canons of her almost demonic green eyes. Hiei stared over his cup at the girl. There was an evil glint in their depths, a light, yet a shadowed darkness as well that the bolt of electricity revealed to the youkai. The flash ended, and Thorn's eyes returned to their normal brightness that, even in the dark, was vibrant.

Hiei sipped from the cup of steaming coffee. Thorn plopped down on the cushion of the futon, using the armrest and the back of the futon corner as a wall, resting her back against them, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around the leather pants, resting her chin on her knees. She looked out the door's large window, watching the flickering of lightening lit up the dreary sky, and listening to the rumbles of thunder. Hiei watched, but the light did not reflect the look in her eyes again. The look of a...a hitokiri. A man-slayer? (Can you tell I just bought two Samuri X movies? The Movie and Trust and Betrayal. Trust and Betrayal is great! Kenshin is so kawaii as Battousai!))

'This girl, a merciless killer? No. I'm imagining things,' Hiei thought, taking a sip from his cup. His eyes began to droop, even though the caffeine was slowly seeping into his blood stream. 

"Why do you speak as if you are not one of them?" Hiei asked, trying to stay awake, although curiosity did plague his mind and was the parentage of the thought.

"What are you talking about?" Thorn asked, not looking away from the window. Her face was blank, but her voice held in it the faintest traces of a snap.

"You talk about humans as if you're not one. Why is that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hiei. I _am_ human," she said. "I _am_ one of them. My blood and theirs is the same." The rain was falling harder now, spitting against the glass viciously, running somber streaks down the pane. Hiei watched as well, grateful he was not out in it. It looked cold and unforgiving as it tinked against the glass. Frightening and awe-inspiring all the same. At times the wind made tree branches crash and snap, billowing leaf-litter into the air and swirling it in fierce gusts before dropping it to the ground. But for the most part the wind was silent, a neutral figure in the war in the sky, helping one side only when it pleased it. 

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Hiei asked after a long silence. Thorn's gaze did not waver from its spot.

"No. I'd rather watch the storm. Its much more interesting. Its a war, don't you see? Between the warm and the cold. They have finally clashed to settle their differences, and one side will blow away and the victor will stay to weep over this valley in its victory. Its strange. How war can so often bring about a better life than before. Yet, in the same train of thought, it can make it just as brutal as before, worse, if possible. Changing the unbearably hot to cool or worsening the heat to prove its strength. War is a constant reminder of our own lives, I think. We are always enslaved to its power. Battling one part of ourselves with another. Never really knowing which will prevail in the end. But humans, they-_we_, don't battle like that. We battle with our neighbors when our problems plague us. We are disgusting. Too weak to control their emotions. Its sickening." Thorn wasn't talking to Hiei anymore, the youkai could see. Her voice was darker than the room in which they sat, growling as boldly as the thunder that tore through the being of the house. Her eyes were icy blue once again, silver flames flickering in the dark depths of the irises, watching the branches of lightening. Hiei was taken back a moment, surprised at her tone and expression. He decided not to press the subject anymore. It seemed, to put it lightly, enrage her. 

Hiei turned away, watching the storm raging outside and the rain pour down on the other side of the protective door. 

"Weren't you supposed to close the windows when it rained?" he asked, uncharacteristically uneasy in the boiling silence. She seemed to fume in its mist, her cold eyes burning the air to heated life. 

"The house needs the rain and the fresh air to cleanse its walls. There is too much negative energy breathing in it," Thorn said, her voice loosing its former bite and softening. Her features seemed to soften as well, as if the thought made her laugh in the deepest part of the sinister side of her soul. 

"Where is the negative energy coming from?" Hiei asked.

"Me," she said, the smallest of smirks rushing to her lips. Hiei gave her a weary look. With the setting of the sun seemed to come another part of the girl. She changed, a more shadowed image of herself took the place of the almost constantly amused one. Hiei watched her as the night drew on, tugging at his mind, bidding him to sleep. He had himself as uncomfortable as possible, watching Thorn resolutely. She did not move the entire night, the brightness of her jade eyes sparking at every lightening bolt, every shadow on her face making her look all the more sinister and almost evil in a sense. 

'This girl I could believe stole the power. Yes, she could. But not the Thorn I find in the day. She is two people. She is two rain clouds,' Hiei thought, his ears guarding against a horrendous wave of thunder. 'But she says she is the wind. Indifferent. Which makes her three people. Hn. A confusing person.'

Thorn stayed frozen throughout the night, just as she had done the night before they had battled. But she had enjoyed that night by the look on her face. And enjoyed it with relish, a smile on her face. But tonight, the storm invoked some demonic spirit within her. She sat curled up in the corner, her closest toe not less then five feet from Hiei, yet she felt miles away from all reality. Miles from her body. Yet she seemed closer than ever, her energy, which was cleverly hidden, burned in the room, heat radiating from its unseen power. The electricity in the air only added to the feeling of closeness. But as dawn approached and the storm moved on, coolness crept into the room, the confinement of the heat dispersing in an orderly fashion.

Hiei blinked and looked up as dawn lightened the clouds just slightly. His dark carmine eyes stared straight ahead of him. He was the only one on the futon. Thorn was gone. Hiei looked around quickly, but not frantically. His hand began to inch toward his sword. Something was...different. He looked into the girl's room. The bed lay untouched, as did everything else. But-wait! There, on the chair. Her sword. It was humming slightly, and he felt like it was speaking to him. 

"What's the matter? BlackFire putting the great Hiei on edge?" came a cheerful, yet somber voice. Hiei jerked his head around to see Thorn with a cup of coffee in her hand. She placed it in front of him. "I'm sure if I offered you food you'd refuse it, so if you get hungry there's a couple of health bars in the cupboard under the futon," she said, straightening. 

"You eat? Now that's surprising." He picked up the coffee cup, and noticed she had already taken the other away.

"I am, after all, only human, Hiei. And humans consume a lot of food to survive," she said, taking BlackFire from his hammock that lay slung around the chair's top and placing him on her back.

"Where are you going?" he asked, sipping the warm liquid. A sound came from her. A… giggle? What was up with this strange girl? Last night she looked like a hitokiri and now she seemed almost childish.

"Out. I have one more day of vacation from school before I return, and I plan to enjoy it," she said, turning around. Hiei glared at her from under his white bangs. He finished off his drink quickly.

'She must be going somewhere. I'll have to follow her,' Hiei thought.

"Thanks for, ah, everything," Hiei said uncertainly, standing. 

"Its fine." Hiei nodded as she walked toward her dark room, turning and opening the door. He glanced back once, uneasy about something he could not place. He shrugged it off with a low growl, turning away from the swaying frame of the girl and her hissing sword and exiting the house. He closed the door behind him, looking around him with his Jagan eye. Nothing. The girl's dog peeked out of its large house, looking at him with floppy brown ears perched. He glanced at it and jumped into a near-by tree, receiving a small bark at his retreat. 

*

Hiei over-looked a large pond from the branch of a far-reaching tree. He looked around. He could have sworn he saw her enter near this patch of water. His eyes were confused as he looked farther over the branch, seeing a bubble rise from the water. Suddenly, the youkai got the strangest feeling. Not of being watched or followed or being in danger. A feeling of being... tricked. Too late, he realized, turning his head just enough to see the mischievous glint in Thorn's outrageously laughing eyes and a smile on her face, as her hands pushed him hard in the chest, upsetting his balance. Caught unaware, Hiei tried to regain his balance, yet failed, succeeding only in grabbing the girl's wrist, pulling her down with him, as he plunged down the twenty feet into the clear water. Thorn gave a short, thrilled laugh before they both came crashing into the pond, water muffling the rest of her outburst. Hiei saw, for the first time, a real, full-fledged smile on her face and heard, again, for the first time, a genuine laugh spill from her lips as they fell. Water sloshed around them sourly at being disturbed from its quiet stillness. Hiei released Thorn's wrist as he swam to the surface. He coughed a few moments, treading water as he did so and shaking the water from his face and hair, which drooped lazily and unhappily over his face. He glared at the girl in front of him, who was also treading water about five feet away, and laughing gaily. 

"What the hell was that for?" Hiei spat. Thorn softened her laugh, which echoed through the surrounding trees. 

"Oh...you know. Part of my training. Oh geez, Hiei. You should have...seen the look....on your face! You looked...so surprised. And so pissed," her words tremored with her deep laugh.

"I am pissed, wench. Now get your ass over here so I can kill you," Hiei growled, lunging forward, anger heated in his eyes. Thorn just laughed, swimming through the water easily to avoid his bursts of slow speed.

"You're quick on land, and in trees, Hiei. But without footholds, you're just as slow in the water as I was on land," Thorn said with a large smile, floating through the water with the grace of a seal, enjoying watching the fire youkai curse and snarl into the water as he struggled to catch her. 

"What makes you so damn fast?" he asked, resting in the middle of the pool, panting slightly after a more moments of futile chase.

"Ha. I've been taught in the elements of every breed of dragon. Water, Air, Fire, Earth. All in all, I'm at home in every environment. I might not be fast on land, but that's only because human legs are weak. But their arms are fairly strong and so the water is an element I find appealing." She chuckled, waiting for his next attack she knew would come, watching him with amusement as he struggled to hold his temper in check. 

"Yeah? Well I'll kill you all the same for what you've done, bitch," Hiei spat, lunging forward once again, rage in his expression. Thorn ducked under water, appearing a moment later behind him after swimming under him. She laughed once again, her musical voice floating in the treetops that moaned in a humid wind, moisture dripping from their leaves and needles like sweat. Hiei jerked around. Her eyes closed in the jovial laugh and Hiei took that moment to make a desperate lunge forward. Although she heard the splashing, Thorn was so caught up in her outburst that she did not have time to dodge away before controlling her lungs. He pushed her under the water, her silky hair floating around his arms. In his rage he held her for a long moment, unaware that any time at all had passed. Finally, he looked down. There she was, looking up and still smiling at him, his hands on her shoulders as he held her under the water. He was using all of his weight to keep her under the water, so when she, well, disappeared, he fell face-first into the water, making a grand splash upon the shore. He felt himself being pulled downward and he frantically clawed at the water, looking and reaching for something to grasp, even though he knew there was nothing. He kicked, but came in contact with only the thickness of the water, even though it was his ankles that were held. Suddenly, he was thrown upward, out of the water and into the air with a silvery sparkle of water droplets. He landed on a grassy shore, gasping for breath and choking as he rested on his hands and knees. With an exhausted groan he fell onto his shoulder, his eyes drooping. His cloak was sodden wet, a dead weight on his chest as he flipped onto his back. He coughed up another mouthful of water before bolting upright and looking around. The pool was empty, only a ripple on its surface.

"Damn, I lost her," he cursed, striking the ground with his right fist and coughing again. 

"Oh, Hiei, sometimes you are so easily fooled its funny," came Thorn's voice to his right. He looked over. She sat against the rough bark of a tree trunk, her arms and legs crossed and her expression back to its normal amusing smirk.

"What the hell was that all about?" he hissed. "Don't give me that bull about it being training either. Its a stupid excuse."

"Well then I have nothing to tell you. I just wanted to know if it would work, really. You're just upset because I got the upper hand by myself and you didn't let me." She stared straight ahead, unblinking. Hiei grumbled. He stood up, wringing the water out of his cloak, which felt like lead on his body. He shook his head roughly, sending water flying in every direction as his hair slowly began to straighten back into its normal position. He took out his sword sheath and pulled his weapon from it. He flipped over the sheath, expelling water onto the already soaked earth before replacing the sword. Finally, he looked over at Thorn. She wasn't looking at him directly, but she was watching every move he made as she looked over at the peaceful water. Her long hair was bleached such a dark brown from the water it looked jet black, even though sunlight filtered warmly down through the trees and highlighted it a deep and yawning gold. Her leather skirt and top had water running freely down their surfaces; waterproof. Water also ran down her tawny skin, soft and caressing. The two strands of hair that framed her face held firmly to her face like dark, gold-shinning scars.

"So are you still going to kill me? Even though I did teach you something that will prove useful toward improvement within yourself?" she asked, her voice curious.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he seethed.

"I just told you your ultimate weakness, that's what I'm talking about," she replied. 

"Hn. One weakness. Its not enough to get me killed. Just as long as I avoid it. And I can swim just fine."

"Avoid it? You can't avoid water, Hiei. It covers three fourths of this planet. If you don't get that problem fixed, it just might kill you. Because you only need one weakness to get your throat slit."

"Shut-up," he said darkly.

"Suit yourself. But you know I'm right," Thorn said with a shrug. She stood up, jerking her head slightly, making water fall freely and drip down her long locks. She turned and looked at him. His hair was slowly drying, making it stand on edge once again but for the tips, which drooped in a sour frown. But his eyes were heated, angry at himself mostly. Showing the enemy a weakness meant sure death in the demon world. What did it mean here? Would she push it to her own advantage? Try to kill him like she could have so easily done today? He growled to himself, curses running over and over in his mind harshly. 

"You should work on those skills before we fight again. Because we both know that we will, whether or not its Koenma that arranges the match, or us. But if Koenma demands it first, then I wont hold back. I'll use the dirtiest tricks in the book if they suit me. Then, well, lets just say that if... when that happens, you might get caught in a corner without speed in the water." She turned away, walking back toward her house. It was then he noticed that BlackFire was with her, glowing and humming happily. He cursed again and leaped into the trees.

'I must get stronger in the water. But how? There is no one to teach me and I have no idea about it. I can swim, yes, but not like she can. With ease. Damn the water!' he cursed in his mind. 'And to think I never knew just makes it worse!'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Here ya go! A nice, loooong chapter to make up for all the late chapters! ^_^ I'm really sorry about all these issues with it. I've been having some personal issues that I've been dealing with.

Keiko: poor J-chan's been having 'issues'

J: -sigh- yeah. Which is why all the guy's aren't here. I've kicked them out because they were teasing me and making me depressed.

Shizuru: -smoking a cig- yeah, we've all got issues.

Yukina: poor J-chan…

J: alright, enough of this depressing crap. You're reviews really do pull me out of this slump! They're wonderful! As usual, I've been trying to get this chapter out since Thurs. with no such luck! Grrr.. 

Atzuko: -drunk- alright! Let's look at reviews! -chipper-like-

J:err.. Can someone take away her booze? She's scaring me…

Shizuru: -takes beer- -drinks it herself- yummy.

J: err… yeah. Whatever. Anyway, let's do reviews.

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SilverKnight7: thanks! Yeah, my fighting scenes don't suck too bad. ^_^

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Miyako14: thanks! Wow, it seems everyone liked my fighting scene. Well then, you'll REALLY like the ones that come later! ^_^ -hint- -hint-

Atwood(): OH! Thank you so much! It's always marked it wrong on spell check, but had no correction. I'd go back and edit, but then I'd have to do nearly EVERY chapter. But thank you so much! Now I have it for future chapters! Thanks again.

J: alright! That's all everyone! Thank you so much! I didn't think anyone would like my fighting scenes. I try to use the anime as help with them and use lots of detail. I hate it when people only write about two blows apiece and suddenly you know who's going to win. It's no fun. ^_^. Anyway, thanks again. I'll post the next chapter very soon to make up for all the lateness.

The purple button is your friend, push it and marvel in its wonders!

^_^


	19. Hiei's Dream and Thorn's Anger

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Warnings: (yeah, I'm gunna start doing warnings now…) Hiei dreams and Thorn gets upset…

__

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Nineteen: Hiei's Dream and Thorn's Anger

Thorn knelt down on the porch, giving her dog a scratch along its back, making its tail wag furiously in glee. Hiei watched from the same tree he had waited in the evening before, watching them from the corner of his eye. Thorn gave the dog a big pat before speaking.

"Its going to rain again tonight, Hiei," she said, with no emotion hinting in her voice. Sometimes it confused the youkai, the way she acted. Not a few hours ago she was laughing buoyantly at pushing him into the water, swimming with evident exuberance, and then she turned serious as she sat on the shore, telling him about his weakness. Now she was as empty of feeling as a dried up river. 

"Hn. What's your point?" he grumbled from the tree. His expression was bored, looking into the distance, his right wrist resting in his right knee. 

"My point is that there is a chance of another storm. You should come inside tonight. I have to get some sleep if I'm going to school tomorrow and I wont be able to if I hear you jumping from tree to tree to avoid lightening bolts," she said, straightening. Her dog jumped up, placing its paws on her lap. She lowered her hand to scratch behind its ears. 

"Hn," Hiei replied, looking to his right, into the west, where the sun was oozing behind the horizon in a red gush. Clouds were beginning to move in once again, quickly, wind ushering them on with encouraging whispers. His brow furrowed. "I'm surprised you sleep. I thought you might have been a zombie."

"Cut it out, Hiei. For a joke to be funny it has to sound witty. That just sounded corny," she snorted. "Well, c'mon. The light is fading. Hungry?" Hiei shook his head. "Me neither. Oh well. Come inside when you want. I'll be going to sleep in about an hour. I actually like to sleep. Using spirit energy tires me." She turned away, putting a hand to her mouth as she yawned. "The door's unlocked." And with that, the door shut. 

Hiei looked to the clouds, which grumbled softly as they were herded over the valley. He watched for a long time. Twenty minutes. Then the rain would come, as well as the darkness. You could smell it in the air, thickening it to the point of a thin mist. There would be no storm though. Thunder might come about, but there would be no lightening. But in the house he could keep a closer eye on the girl. He hopped down from the tree and opened the door, stepping into the house. He took his place on the armrest of the futon. Darkness slide into the room slowly, like an advancing thief. Thorn opened her door and stepped into the room a moment later, rubbing her hair in a towel. When she saw him sitting to her right her lips flickered in a smirk as she straightened before walked toward her desk. She picked up some papers and placed them in a maroon backpack, zipping it closed and moving it to sit next to her desk. She yawned once more and took the towel from her shoulders, draping it on the chair. She wore normal, human bedclothes, Hiei noticed, colored a bloody red and made of a satiny textile. They rustled silken whispers as she moved. Without a word she left once more, the softest of paddings kissing the hardwood stairs as she swiftly bounded up them. She came down a moment later, a tall glass of water in one hand and a steaming mug in the other. She placed the mug in front of the fire youkai and carried the glass to a nightstand beside her bed, placing it on the wood behind a small box that held the time. She touched the box, pressing an unseen button. She then glanced up, Hiei noticed, at the painting on the wall. He looked at it as well, but it had not gained the life he had seen in it the night before. It was no more than a painting once again. She turned back, pulling the covers from her bed, she crawled in. Hiei put the mug to his lips, sipping quietly, watching her. He heard steady breaths about ten minutes later.

'How can she sleep when she knows I am so close? Hn. She is too trusting. But its not my style to go after her while she sleeps. Its too low for me,' Hiei thought to himself almost scoffingly. He looked around. Nothing was different from the night before. Yet he felt strange. Like something was not the same, as though something lingered in the air that put him on edge. Something he did not like. 'My imagination is running away from me. Not sleeping for four days is hard.' He sipped his coffee once again. His eyes were heavy and he failed when he tried to subdue a yawn. He placed the unfinished coffee on the table, one third of the liquid still in its bottom. He moved and sat down on the cushion of the futon, his moves slow and drunken. It began to become difficult to keep his eyes open. 

'I suppose I could rest a little bit. She's not going anywhere anytime soon. I'll just sit here and rest. I wont fall asleep, just doze a little while. I wont fall asleep,' Hiei thought, burrowing deeper into the softness of the futon. Without conscience thought, he laid down, resting his head on a large, yet soft pillow that had not been there the night before. His eyes flickered closed, even though he strained to keep them open. 

Twenty minutes after pretending to fall asleep the Thorn opened her eyes. She sat up on her bed and removed the covers. She got up from the bed and removed her pajamas, clothed in her normal leather garments. She placed them neatly beneath her pillow on her newly-made bed. She walked quietly over to Hiei, her steps nothing more than whispers on the thick carpet. 

'You were tough, Hiei. Most would have passed out long before this. Your stubbornness is unreal,' Thorn thought to herself as she looked down on his sleeping form. 'I almost regret this. But I don't. Its for your own good. I don't want BlackFire to kill you and he can only do that if you try to fight him. And I know you would. Hn. Good-night, Hiei.' She pulled an afghan from the back of the futon and draped it carefully over his sleeping form. He growled in his sleep, but the words were lost in a sea of mumbles. 

'Even his dreams must haunt him with his past. A shame, really. To be laden with such grief that began in the first few days of his life and continues to this day. But it could be the drug, although I doubt it. Well, its none of my business. Come, BlackFire. Hunting night is upon us,' Thorn thought, turning away from the youkai. There was a snap of ecstatic jaws in her mind. She crept silently up the stairs and opened the sliding glass door without a sound, closing it behind her just as carefully. 

'And now I let you roam the human world just as you used to roam the demon world, BlackFire. Keep the killing to a minimum. The last thing we need is Koenma to somehow find out and pin it on us,' she thought as her shape changed, molding from her human form to her white wolf body before its coat blackened, the black scar blending white.

"Yes, Mistress. Don't worry, I know tonight's prey already, and Koenma will never know," whispered the black wolf, its lips pulled back in a devilish grin, its eyes a glittering demonic blue, a sliver of black pupils insuring that insanity raged within the creature. And when the black disappeared, so would the sanity that tied it to its residing place. But until that time, he was perfectly sane, his conscience in control of his mind instead of rage.

*****Meanwhile*****

Hiei dreamed. A rarity. He never dreamed. But he did now, with the rain tapping on the windows, in the girl's room. There were no pictures but for a fleeting glance, nothing that he could understand or hardly see. Just a recognizable blur that, no doubt, had been a scene in his painful past. He felt cold. Then sudden warmth. He was grateful for its comfort that surrounded him. But it did not soften the scenes, only the bitterness he felt when they flashed before his eyes. But the bitterness wasn't the only thing he felt when he dreamed this dream. No, he was full of emotions that had never brightened his face. It was also full of the need to kill. The sight and smell of blood. Its taste on his tongue and the feel of searing flesh beneath his katana's blade as the creature tried to flee, to fight back. But it was not his emotion. It was another's. Someone who was close. Who was killing. He wanted to wake, to know, but his mind refused the order, its cells boggled with some unknown drug. He twitched in anger, not understanding. More pictures sped before his vision, and he was drawn to watching them, although he could not see them, he could almost place them with the river of feelings that flowed with them. He felt guilt, responsibility, hope, anger, hate, pain, suffering. They were all there, as well as others that he could not place. 

Suddenly, there was a scene that was so clear, he could sworn he had opened his eyes and seen it. But his mind was fuzzy and just told him that it had been part of the dream in its hazy tones. There, before him on the futon, had sat a large, black wolf. Its coat was slick with a wine-hued liquid that clung fiercely to its black rug. There was a marking on its forehead, between the eyes, which was stained such a bright cherry one could swear it was a gapping wound, spilling the blood that swam along the body. But it was the eyes that caught Hiei's attention the most. He recognized them. The clearest of ice-blue, with black stealing down the middle in a desperate attempt to keep the creature from the rage that threatened to overtake its mind. They glinting dangerously, evil glee burrowed deep within its rock crevice. And the grin that severed its maw. The large fangs flashed eagerly in front of his face, the creature's breath reeking of blood. 

The image flashed away a moment later, but his dreams did not continue after it. He was blank, as if the adventure had been caused by the wolf. There was no more feeling, no more pictures. He slept as he usually did, in the darkness of his mind, for the rest of the night.

*

Hiei woke up with a start, his mind buzzing. He groaned and put a hand up to his head, sitting up on the futon, trying to shake the feeling of pounding from his temples. The afghan slid down to his waist, the giver of his warmth. He looked around with blurry eyes. There was... music. Soft, but persistent. He looked over toward where it sounded. Thorn sat up in her bed, her hand slamming down on the contraption harshly, stopping its tune. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching. She looked up with eyes as sleepy as Hiei's, her eyes scanning over toward him directly. She removed the covers and stood. Hiei's vision cleared quickly, although the headache persisted stubbornly, and he realized that she wore her normal leather top and bottom, not the clothes she had been in the night before. She went over to her dresser, brushing her already straight brown hair until it shone, even in the darkness of dawn. Wait. Dawn? Hiei had never, in his life, slept until dawn. He had always awaken before the sun began its good-morning. His head jerked toward the door. Sure enough, outside the window the east was slowly branding the faraway fields golden, warm rays sparkling off raindrops that lay on the tall grass. He sighed and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the ever-stubborn pounding. It felt like he had drunk all last night like Yusuke's mother frequently did, and she always woke up with, what they called, a hangover. Agg. What an awful feeling. 

Hiei looked up toward the girl, who suddenly paused in front of the mirror, her hands freezing as they ran through her silky hair. He tilted his head, wondering what she saw. Her eyes were bright, even though he only saw their corners. She turned around, her hands dropping to her sides. She turned, her back toward him, where, he noticed, BlackFire lay silent, not glowing nor humming. 

'That's what I found strange last night. BlackFire wasn't on the chair,' Hiei thought, watching as the girl turned, her eyes burning bright as lamps. Angry. He had never seen anger in her eyes before. Not real anger. It was strange. But he followed her gaze. She was facing the painting. But somehow it looked different. The sun could not cast that reddish glow. What was it? Hiei strained his eyes harder to see into the darkness as Thorn approached it. The dragon, its claws were...red. Like they had been freshly painted. But the way the girl was acting, she had not done it. She looked up at it from not two feet away. Hiei stood up unsteadily and walked over as well, standing next to her without a sound. His eyes widened and he took a quick breath. It was not paint that stained the claws of the creature. It was blood. Fresh blood. It dripped down the wall slowly, reluctant to leave the silver. Thorn's hand reached up, but, it seemed, she could not touch what she wished to. Slowly, her arm rose higher, as did her head, until she was a good three inches taller than the youkai that stood beside her. Hiei was amazed, shocked really, but refrained from saying anything. The girl seemed to be in a very pissed-off daze. Her fingers brushed against the creature's jaws, which hung open in a frozen scream of anguish. She retreated them and her height returned to its normal standard. She brought her fingers in front of her, rubbing them together thoughtfully. Blood stuck to their tips. 

"I see. You killed, but did not feed, although you tried. You are a dirty bastard," she said quietly. Hiei looked at her quizzically. She seemed to snap out of her trance and looked at him.

"My trainer, he insists upon continuing my training now. Even though he knows I have a battle soon to come," she explained, only to be met by curious and confused eyes. "Its a good thing I put off the last four days of training."

"I thought he was dead," Hiei said.

"He is. In a way. His body is gone, but his soul follows me and continues to train me. The voice in my head. He says that with the death of those of whom you used to care about comes the hardening of the mind. With a strong mind, you feel no pain and so can train harder, more efficiently. So he kills. He normally feeds as well, but it seems that this soul was strong." She paused a moment, thinking. "Oh shit," she gasped. "That bastard!" she hissed, turning and stalking from the room, she flung the plastic aside and walked down the hall. "You're going to kill her!"

Hiei followed her, passing a bathroom and entering, what looked like, an office. She went through the office, opening a door on its other wall. She quickly walked outside, letting the door slam behind her. Hiei followed from a safe distance, confused and bewildered, but masking it with his usual stoic grace. She walked for a long while, her long stride covering large fields and crossing roads quickly. Finally, they came upon a large barn. She did not pause, but her pace did not hasten as she walked straight past it into a large pasture. She hopped easily over the four foot fence and kept moving. She stopped in the middle of the field, looking around before continuing to her left. Hiei followed, unsure as to what was really happening. 

She had stopped in front of something. He got closer. It was...a horse? This girl must have a big thing for animals, he noted. He looked around, no other horses were close, but he did see them on the other side of the pasture, heads up and wondering, frightened at the tinted scent of blood. He stopped at her side. The horse was brown, a plain and simple creature. But blood streaked down its flanks and neck, claws had ripped at the flesh. It was dead. 

"She's in pain now. A shame, really. Causing her pain when its me that he's training," Thorn said aloud, scorn in her voice. 

"Who is in pain?" Hiei asked, looking over at her.

"My twin. He's trying to kill her to make me....better. But killing the things she loved only angers me, it does not cause me pain. But he likes my anger. Although I don't understand why. It only makes me foolish." She knelt down. "Poor creature. She'll want me to keep you close. I have tried my best to keep you safe from him, but I have failed. She understands and her tears will water your grave." She grasped at the medallion at her throat. "Come, and you two will be together," she whispered. From the body sighed a small white cloud. It hovered a moment before rushing into the open mouth of the dragon around her neck. She smiled, but it was a sad, pitying smile. Hiei stayed silent. She had just taken and imprisoned the soul of the creature. She stood up.

"The only soul to ever survive his second stomach. The first time, friend, you survived him easily. But I guess your body wasn't as lucky this time." She turned to Hiei. "You must go back to Japan. It seems that school will have to wait today. I will bury the body and meet you there. He'll want me to start drawing blood, but with this death I will punish him by refusing. Get Kuwabara. He'll be my opponent."

"I am your opponent, no one else," Hiei said, his voice suddenly stern. She glared at him, her eyes a cold, hard blue.

"I do not mean to offend you when I say I'd rather fight Kuwabara. He'd fight with his fists if I asked to fight in such a way and put up more than a descent fight. And that is the way I want it now. No spirit energy, no outside weapons, just fists."

"Why?"

"Because he wants blood. And with a weapon I might become controlled by my sibling's rage and draw it. But that's not what I want. I want him to see that he cannot control me. Its the only way I can show him that I am not one to be ordered like a soldier," she explained, bite in her voice. "Now, please, Hiei, leave and tell Kuwabara I'll meet him...somewhere. He'll find me." Her voice had softened, as had her expression. Hiei backed away a step. He didn't know what he should do. She looked away.

"Please, Hiei. I wont let him kill me. I'm not that weak."

"_I_ wont let him kill you," he said, making her look at him. "I reserve that right for myself." She nodded, turning back toward the body of the creature before them.

"Yes. You do," she said quietly. She straightened. "You'll need a portal. Koenma probably does not have one close, so I will have give you another secret." She pulled BlackFire from her back. "Wake up," she growled, her eyes hard and cruel in the morning light, bars of gold burning into them. The sword began to glow sleepily. "To Tokyo, Japan. Direct," she stated. The sword answered with a hum. She looked at the youkai beside her before giving one large slash with the sword. It was the first time she had used it and Hiei was impressed that she swung it so easily, although its weight was clearly oppressing. She made another strike into the air. The paths of both strikes began to glow bluish, their roads crossing in an 'x'. She replaced her sword. 

"This portal will lead you to the outskirts of the city. Take it. I will follow in a few hours," she explained. Hiei gave her a quizzical look. "Trust, Hiei. If it fails then I will search for you. I want to fight you eventually with the prospect of no holds bards. I too, will not let _you_ die. At least, not by anyone's hands but my own." Hiei grunted and stepped forward. He paused at the gate and glanced back just slightly. She was not watching him any longer. She was looking at the dead creature, contemplating something. He stepped through the portal. 

Tokyo lay before him, dark before the dawn of morning. The time, he remembered, was different from the other parts of the world. He looked behind him, just in time to see the portal seal like a healed wound. 

'Hn. So now her power of travel has been revealed. Well, I guess I should find Kurama and tell him as well as that idiot Kuwabara. They should be getting out of bed to go to school in a little while,' he thought, walking forward, toward the city.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: yay! A chapter ON TIME! Whoot! 

Kuwabara: took ya long enough.

ZIIMM!

Kuwabara: agg! I'm…. short! -chibi Kuwabra looks up at massively tall Hiei, who is standing beside him-

J: grr, that's what you get for annoying me, baka! 

Hiei: -sadistic grin- Ha!

J: -realizes what Hiei's thinking- Hiei, you can't kill him, I need him for the next chapter.

Yusuke: -grin- haha! But at least we can torture him until then!

J: just don't kill him.

Kuwabara: -is scared-

Kurama: -chuckle- oh, and J-can, will I have a big part in the next chapter?

J: sorry, Kurama-kun, but you wont. Well, you'll talk a lot if that's what you mean..

Kurama: -proud- yeah. Awesome.

All: 0.0 he did NOT just say awesome… 

Hiei: -stops trying to stomp on Kuwabara- Kurama? 

Kurama: -giggle- yeah?

All: -everyone is freaked out-

J: oooookkay…. I think I should stop giving him all my Christmas candy… it's messing with his head… and hair… -looks wearily at Kurama's chocolate-infested hair-

All: agreed. 

J: okay, here are Reviews. AND! I'm doing a teaser! Just because I'm evil…

Kuwabara: -grumbles- can say that again…

J: -glare- I think I'll let Thorn kill you….

Kuwabara: epp! -hides behind Yukina, who is sitting around innocently-

**__**

Reviews: 

SilverKnight7: ^_^ yeah, well the next fight scene should sooth your excitement just a little. It should be pretty hot! Lol. Well, the major fight scene isn't until the end. I'm just a little way past the half-way mark here, so try to be patient! ^_^ I know, it's going to be hard, so just bare with me here! Thanks for the review!

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Miyako14: Thanks for your review! ^_^

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baka-chibi-puffs: yeah! Samurai X kicks major butt! I have director's cut too, and was hoping for Reflections for xmas, but it hasn't happened yet. U_U. But no worries, for I still have half my family left in Massachusetts! Maybe I'll get it from them. Let's hope! Thanks for your review!

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Midnightdream51: thank you so so much for you're awesome review! Omgosh, I was so awed and inspired by it! I wanted to pump this chapter out ASAP because of it! And really, I am so undeserving of this holy praise! I have read much better work here. And yes, as I moved on in this story, I was going back to my more poetic state because of some Role Playing Games that I was going back and reading from about a year ago. So my old RPGing posts totally inspired me. And, I must say, that it only gets worse with the detail. -shrug- for the most part, the shadow thing, with all the different words was because I hate it when authors repeat the same damn thing over and over gain. 'he was hidden in the shadows. He was not visible because the shadows obscured him. The shadows cloaked him stiflingly.' get the point? I !HATE! That with a vengeance. And the thing is, a lot of authors do it too! Yes, well you've totally inspired me with your review, and I loved it a lot! Lol. But look at you! You only have three chapters up, whilst I have 18 and we have the same number of reviews! Don't ya think that tells ya something? -quirk- lol. But, I will let cha'll in on a little secret. This story _is_ finished. As a fact, I've started on the sequel. I think it's going to be a trilogy in all fact! ^_^ but don't get excited! I don't know what's going to happen if I do write a third one. But, personally, the way the sequel is coming, it's a lot better than this one. Mostly because my writing style has been slightly altered. It's more 'poetic' I suppose. Now don't worry, I haven't finished it yet. But I think I'm going to up the update amount, because this is too slow! Lol. If I keep going at this pace, it wont be done being posted until NEXT new year. Lol. Well, thanks again. 

J: oh, and I forgot to wish everyone a happy new-year! ^_^

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

**__**

Teaser:

"C'mon, Kuwabara! Just give her a few good hits and it'll be over," Yusuke said.

"Shut-up, Urimeshi! I'm trying to concentrate!" the tall boy shouted. He blocked another hit. "Okay, fine." He gave a hesitating punch, Thorn took to the defense, blocking easily. She seemed to rely more on her defense than offence, and settled into an easy rhythm of blocks, taking to the offensive less and less often. 

"C'mon, Kuwabara! Hit her!" Yusuke yelled after a long line of punches from his friend that never caught meaningful flesh. It had already been almost five minutes since they had started.

"Stay calm, Yusuke," Kurama said. "Look. She is defending herself, yet you would think that she was doing all the work. She grows weaker by the moment. There is something wrong here." 

"Huh?" Yusuke asked, turning toward the kitsune. He looked again. He was right. Thorn's actions seemed to slow, her breath was heavier. Her eyes were bright blue, darting from one of the boy's hands to the other, yet always watching his entire body's movements. At times she took a half-hearted swing, only to have it blocked or dodged. But for the most part she took to the defensive with only her sheer determination. She would not draw blood.

After nearly twenty minutes of blocking, Thorn's body became languid. It was visible to even the most untrained of eyes. She was weakening quickly, although there was no reason for it.

+++

J: I know, I'm so evil! ^_^

Now press the pretty button…. It holds magic and beauty! Lol…


	20. Kuwabara's Fight

****

Warnings: some butt-kicking…

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty: Kuwabara's Fight

"Hiei! What the hell are you doing here?" Kuwabara asked in his usual, annoying screech. 

"Yeah, Hiei. I don't get why you're here instead of tracking down that girl. Having difficulties?" Yusuke asked teasingly. Hiei never, _never_ had difficulties.

"That's the reason why I came back. She's coming here," Hiei said, ignoring the Spirit Detective's insulting question. He was standing in front of the two boys, Kurama on his left, leaning against the wall, watching him with an expression of curiosity. 

"What?" Kuwabara asked, his eyes looking up sharply, laced with evident surprise.

"I came to tell you that she's coming here. Actually, she should be here any moment. But she wants to see you," Hiei said, nodding toward the tall carrot-top.

"Me?!"

"Kuwabara? Why?" Yusuke asked. Hiei shrugged, silent. 

"How do you know that's who she's after?" Kurama asked. Hiei glared at him, searching in the kitsune's eyes for something that would give him away to suspecting what no one knew. He shrugged it away when he found nothing. Paranoia. 

"Because that's what she said. She talks to herself often," he replied darkly, a dare in his voice silent and unnoticed. 

"But why would she only want Kuwabara? It seems strange that she would ask for only him. Does she know that we are to take her to Spirit World?" Kurama asked, watching Hiei's expression as it remained stoic and smooth. 

"Yes," Hiei replied. 

"Then it doesn't make any sense that she would come to us like that," Yusuke said, looking to Hiei, then to Kurama in hopes that one or the other could ease his sense of confusion. Hiei was silent. Kurama wanted to ask the youkai questions, but felt that he would not get straight answers in this environment. Something about the fire demon spoke of caution around this revealing of information. Maybe after she met with Kuwabara he would have more answers and would not have to ask the stubborn demon. 

Hiei walked toward the window to his right, staring out its clear surface. The sun beat down mercilessly, but was not burning. Just comfortable in the morning light. He fingered the paper in his pocket. No energy came from it. And it did no glow, or he would feel the warmth. She was not here yet. Strange, he thought she'd be here by now. Wait. He closed his fingers around the parchment. She was here. But she was different. Her energy... the one he felt the last time he used the card to pinpoint her was not this...well, it wasn't the same as it was now. He held the paper tighter in his pocket and closed his eyes, tucking his chin.

"She's here," he said.

*

"You guys! I can't fight a girl!" Kuwabara whined as they made their way through some thick woods, brushing away a branch that had just been thrown back in his face. Only his reflexes caused it from smacking him square on the chin.

"Where is she?" Kurama asked, looking around expectantly.

"Its against my code! Ah, I think its this way. I can't hit a girl! Its not right!" Kuwabara continued after pointing in a direction most would have considered random. His ranting had grown old and the other three had begun to ignore it as they steadily pressed on. "Are you guys listening to me? I CAN'T FIGHT A GIRL!"

"Shut-up, Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled, turning his annoyed glare toward the taller boy, whipping around in anger.

"But I can't, Urimeshi!"

"Well you'd better break that code right now. Or you'll walk away with a broken neck. If she lets you walk away at all," Hiei said, in his usual, dark tones. That silenced the big oaf for a few minutes. 

'Baka. She wont kill him. Well, he doesn't know that and I see no reason to tell him,' Hiei thought to himself. 'It'll add to the amusement of the battle.' 

They continued walking, following Kuwabara's feelings toward her. Not that they had to. Hiei knew it would be much faster if they used her 'map'. But he didn't feel like telling them that he had been close enough to kill her just once, not to mention all those other times. And then, and explanation would have to occur, and he didn't feel like talking at the moment.

"She's close," Kurama said suddenly, his pace slacking unnoticeably. 

"Yeah. Right ahead of us," Kuwabara said, his tone suddenly blank. He was thinking more than anything. How could he defeat her? And why would she want to fight him instead of Yusuke or Kurama or even Hiei, who would be much more on her fighting level then him? This was weird, and he didn't like it. But he had the strangest feeling like he was the only one who could get the job done right. Like he was the only one that could fight the way she wanted to. He shuddered. Her power had grown quite close, and it gave him the willies. It had changed from the last time he had felt it. It seemed to grow... darker? Eviler? He shook his head. No, he was imagining things. 

"Kuwabara, what's your problem? You haven't said anything in a while," Yusuke asked, looking back behind him at the boy suspiciously. 

"Nothing. I was just thinking. Ya know, why would she want to fight me instead of you guys? I mean, just me. But she's really strong and has a lot of spirit energy. I mean, why would she just want to fight me?"

"Maybe she's looking for an easy win," Hiei said with a smirk.

"Hey! Take that back, Shrimp!" Kuwabara yelled, anger pushing out the calm and thoughtful demeanor.

"Calm yourself, Kuwabara. We will find out soon enough the whys. For now let's just figure out the where," Kurama said, giving them both a pointed look.

"Yeah, I agree with Kurama, cut it out Kuwabara," Yusuke said. Hiei said nothing. 

"She's right here," Hiei said, stopping to wait for the other three to catch up. 

"Alright, let's go," Kuwabara said seriously, stepping forward through a thick wall of trees. He was followed by Yusuke and Kurama. Hiei hung back a moment, hesitating before stepping boldly into the clearing. If you could call it a clearing. Apparently she didn't think they would need much room. The trees around them were dense with the exception for this spot. She stood against one tree, facing them with her arms crossed and her right foot resting against the base of the tree's trunk. Her eyes, he noticed were, if possible, brighter than before. They almost seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her face was blank, and dangerously straight. She looked at all of them skeptically, her eyes lingering on Hiei a second longer than the rest. She closed her eyes slowly and gave an unnoticeable nod. A thanking. He did the same. No one noticed their small greeting.

"Please come with us, Thorn. Koenma would like to speak with you," Kurama said, the first the break the silence, hoping to exicute the meeting without bloodshed or fighting. Thorn glared at him. He sighed mentally. He knew that it was a futile attempt

"Do you really think that I'm that foolish? Dearest Kurama, you should know better," she replied in dark tones, her voice sarcastically sweet as she spoke his name. "I came here to ask Kuwabara a favor, you three were not needed."

"What do you want?" Kuwabara asked tensely. Her bright eyes turned toward him and made him suppress a shudder. 

"A battle. There would be no other reason for me to come here. But the favor I ask is the rules to the battle." They all gave her a skeptic look. "That neither of us can use Spirit Energy. Don't you think that evens up the score? Your fists are much stronger than my own." They all stared at her dumbly. 

"Huh?" Yusuke asked, confused.

"If Kuwabara wins, which is very possible, almost more possible than I would like for odds, but oh well. If he wins, I go with you to Spirit World to talk to Koenma," she said, turning her ghastly eyes to the detective and making the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge.

"And if you win?" Kurama asked, the green of his eyes much more suspicious than the others. Thorn shrugged.

"I ask for nothing but to let me heal in peace."

"Wait, then what's in the battle for you?" Yusuke asked. "There has to be a catch if you win."

"There is no catch other than the lack of Spirit Energy. That's all I ask," Thorn said. "No weapons, nothing but our fists and heads." 

"But I can't hit a girl!" Kuwabara cried out suddenly, his frantic state seeping back into his mind.

"Yes, I know all about your code. I find it unfair, frankly. A girl can hit just as hard, if not harder, than any boy," Thorn scoffed. Kuwabara gave her a raged look. She raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to prove it?"

"That's not the point! Its just not right to hit girls!" the tall boy said. 

"Well then I'll make it all right," Thorn said. "Either battle or I might just have to kill you." They all stiffened. But for Hiei. He knew. She stood up straight and her arms dropped to her side. 

"This is stupid. I'll fight you," Yusuke said, stepping forward.

"No," Thorn said sharply, her eyes darting to him and making him freeze unknowingly in place. "Unlike Kuwabara, I don't trust you not keeping your word. He has this code and I trust that he will stand strongly behind it. Actually, I know for a fact that he will."

"How do you know?" Kurama asked. Thorn turned to him, a twitch flashing across her lips for half a second, the first time her expression had changed since they had arrived.

"Must you ask? I have told you all before that I know much about you four," Thorn said, her tone almost hinting sweetness.

"Everything you say you know is a lie. You just say that to freak us out," Yusuke spat. Thorn snorted, closing her eyes and letting just the faintest of smirks line her face for a fleeting moment before falling back into their smooth expression.

"Don't make me prove my point, Zombie-boy," she said almost pleasantly. Yusuke was taken back.

"W-what did you say?" he asked, bewildered.

"Really Yusuke, don't ask stupid questions. I know all about your death. And if you all continue to pester me about such things as you have done I will be forced to say things I know you would hate to be known."

"Leave it alone," Hiei said quietly as Yusuke began to retort. Thorn smirked just slightly.

"But, if you know Kuwabara's code then you know he doesn't hit girls," Yusuke said, rewording what used to be a raged sentence into a semi-peaceful one, his anger held in check only by the clenching of his jaw.

"Yeah!" Kuwabara intervened. Thorn opened her eyes and glared at them, silencing them.

"I don't care," she said simply. "Kuwabara, you _will _fight me. Must I prove to you that I am capable of taking care of myself? You treat women like we are weak. We are not. We are strong. Stronger than you think."

"But-"

"Shut-up, Kuwabara," Thorn said, her voice ringing with authority. She stepped forward, her foot removing itself from the tree's base. "Get ready, I will not go lightly."

"I-"

"I ask for silence," Thorn said, her voice dark. 

"You'd better go, Kuwabara. She is too stubborn to argue with," Kurama said pointingly.

"B-"

"Kuwabara! Just go. Its not like you have to kill her. Just give her a couple of hits so we can get this over with!" Yusuke said, his voice irritated. Kuwabara contemplated a moment.

"Let's go, Kuwabara. My patients grows short today," Thorn said. Kuwabara nodded and stepped forward. Thorn's fists rose.

"You said no weapons," Kuwabara said.

"That is true."

"Well that sword is a weapon." Thorn straightened.

"How true. Foolish of me to forget." She removed her sword, which hummed greedily. She turned toward a tree, looking up and down it, sizing it up. Her hand flashed. They all looked at the tree. She took the tip of her sword and tapped the tree's side gently a few times. Its thick trunk tipped to the side before it crashed down in a scream of snapping branches. She 'hn'ed and thrust her sword into the thick trunk, which was nearly two feet wide, making it stand upright. It buzzed angrily. If it could, it would have struggled against its prison, screaming angry words at her. She turned back toward the carrot-top. The sword did not relent in its struggle. 

"Let us begin," she said with conviction. Kuwabara nodded. The other three looked on. [A/N: Even though you guys don't seem to think so, I really am bad with fighting scenes]

They did not move for a long moment. A breeze stirred, then settled. Silence hung thickly, draping over them stubbornly. Thorn growled.

"I grow tired of your hesitation," she said. She rushed forward, her right fist bolting out toward his face. Kuwabara blocked.

"C'mon, Kuwabara! Just give her a few good hits and it'll be over," Yusuke said.

"Shut-up, Urimeshi! I'm trying to concentrate!" the tall boy shouted. He blocked another hit. "Okay, fine." He gave a hesitating punch, Thorn took to the defense, blocking easily. She seemed to rely more on her defense than offence, and settled into an easy rhythm of blocks, taking to the offensive less and less often. 

"C'mon, Kuwabara! Hit her!" Yusuke yelled after a long line of punches from his friend that never caught meaningful flesh. It had already been nearly five minutes since they had started.

"Stay calm, Yusuke," Kurama said. "Look. She is defending herself, yet you would think that she was doing all the work. She grows weaker by the moment. There is something wrong." 

"Huh?" Yusuke asked, turning toward the kitsune, his eyes confused. He looked again. Kurama was right. Thorn's actions seemed to slow, her breath was heavier. Her eyes were bright blue, darting from one of the boy's hands to the other, yet always watching his entire body's movements as any good fighter did. At times she took a half-hearted swing, only to have it blocked or dodged. But for the most part she took to the defensive with only her sheer determination. She would not draw blood.

After nearly twenty minutes of blocking, Thorn's body began to became languid. It was visible to even the most untrained of eyes that she was tiring. She was weakening quickly, although there was no reason for it.

'You wont kill us. Our spirit will not be broken,' Thorn thought, gritting her teeth after an especially hard block. Slowly, her defenses were weakening. She took a hard hit to the stomach, and another clipped her chin. She did not waver, however. She strengthened her walls of defense. But eventually, they began to fall once again. Kuwabara got in another punch to the girl's stomach, making the girl suppress a grunt of pain.

Suddenly, her expression changed. It contorted in anger, silver tongues licking between the cracks in the wall of blue in her eyes. Her position shifted.

"Its about time," Hiei said to no one in particular.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked, turning from the fight to look at the youkai.

"She's going to fight back now," Kurama supplied.

"She just looks pissed off," Yusuke said.

"She is," Hiei said. Thorn ducked under Kuwabara's fist, her own fist snaking its way into the boy's stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs unpleasantly. His arms wrapped around his burning stomach. She handed a powerful hit on his left cheek. He stumbled backward, gasping for breath to place in his deflated lungs. 

She advanced, her fists clenched at her sides and her breath rapid. Her eyes were suddenly a deep, dark, silver. Her shoulders rose and fell with her breaths as she moved forward slowly. Kuwabara looked up, hunched over with his arms hugging his screaming ribs with his good eye. His left eye was already beginning to swell to the point of clasping shut as he watched her stomp toward him, every curve of her sinuous body expressing hatred and utter rage. She looked intimidating, and made him feel small, although he was a good two and a half feet taller. Her eyes bore down on him, only fury sparking their depths.

She hit him again, her knuckles like iron points jabbing into his jaw. He fell back again. He was confused by her sudden burst of power.

"Wow," breathed Yusuke.

'So she finally shows a portion of her true strength,' Kurama thought.

'Now things should get interesting,' thought Hiei.

Thorn walked forward again. Her teeth were grinding together, bared like a mad dog's evil and crazed grin. Again, she punched him, this time sending him sprawling on the ground. He sat up slowly, coughing twice before rising weakly, brushing the back of his hand gently across his cheek, which bulged in a soft, bubble-shaped blister. She hit him again in the stomach with such force he collapsed to his knees before she could even remove the fist. She looked down at him, her eyes returning to the shimmering blue. It looked as if she was about to sneer at him, but instead closed her eyes and sighed. Her hand fell from his stomach to move to his left shoulder, roughly using a pressure point that lay there to render him into the blackness of unconsciousness. He fell to the ground with a groan, his eyes closing and his body going limp.

Thorn stood there a few moments, panting heavily and holding her own stomach, where Kuwabara's powerful punch had landed. She fell to a knee, pulling her arm tighter about her. She looked at the boy beside her, but never even seeing the other three standing past him. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she pushed herself to her feet.

It was silent but for the ever-persistent, angry, hiss from the sword. She stumbled toward it. Yusuke took a step forward. Kurama's hand came out and blocked his path. The boy looked over at him. His head was down, his eyes closed in defeat and shadowed by his thick bangs, shaking. 'No,' he was saying. Yusuke turned to his left, but could make nothing out of Hiei's blank expression. With a quiet curse he took his foot back and dropped his right fist, which had slowly risen with his anger. But he saw the point the fox demon made. It would not be right, nor fair, to try to apprehend her now, after she had battled so brilliantly.

She turned away from them and faced the sword, which, to its seeming discomfort and anger, was still imbedded in the stump. She straightened, as if proving herself, before reaching down and yanking it from its prison with her left hand. She began to replace it on her back, but froze half-way there as it expressed an especially vibrant hiss . Instead, she looked around, before spotting a large boulder to her left and moving toward it. She stopped and removed her right hand from her stomach to raise it above her head. With an angry shout she brought it down heavily upon the rock, the broad side facing the rough stone. A pleading whine from the sword was drowned out by its scream of pain and the shattering of its blade as the stone held fast and the sword fragmented but for its black hilt. 

Thorn fell to her knees, her breath, if possible, was faster than before and came in ragged gasps. She again held her stomach, now with both hands, with renewed vigor. She had, no doubt, strained the previously injured tissue. She glared at the shards of the silent weapon.

"...bastard..." she gasped. She took hold of the hilt once more, firmly and closed her eyes.

'Give me back my power,' she thought. Her eyes opened suddenly and she put down the hilt.

The three boys watched her, surprise evident even on Hiei's face. If she had the strength to do that to a metal object...then there was a possibility that she should have removed Kuwabara's head at anytime, easily.

She stood up slowly and went back over to Kuwabara's unconscious body. She returned to kneeling beside him and removed her hands from around her waist and placing them gently on the boy's back. 

"You put up a good fight, Kuwabara. But you've served your purpose. And I thank you now," Thorn said quietly. She seemed to force her healing energy, as if she was so drained that just the simplest of healings was paining her. It had not taken her half as long to heal Yusuke at the Dark Tournament, and then she was drained well past what she was here, as it took her in that time to heal Kuwabara. Finally, after a long while, she sighed and sat back, closing her eyes. Sweat dripped down her brow. She turned toward the three boys for the first time since before the fight. She looked almost surprised to see them standing there. She gave them a small smile and looked at them, her eyes their normal, bright, green. 

"I have done everything I came here to accomplish. I will go now. I acknowledge your patients with commandment. Thank you," she said. She stood up, her face twitching slightly at the pain that one was sure must burn in her body. She went back toward the boulder and picked up the sword, which seemed to have literally 'pulled itself together' into its original shape. Only cracks remained where it had shattered. She placed it on her back, gaining more surprised looks from the other three as they watched her in shock. "He'll be asleep for a few days, I've ensured it. When he gets up, make sure he does not strain his stomach or he'll rip open wounds on his organs. And he'll feel the cracked and fractured ribs then too. He wont be able to talk very well for a while as well, his jaw was fractured. I am weak from my battles, and could not heal him fully. Perhaps Yukina or Kurama will finish my work." She looked at them and sighed. "I must go. Koenma will have found out who I am by now, so next time we meet it will probably end with blood. I suggest that you wait for me to heal. Then I will take you all on afterwards. I will come to you after, or if, Koenma reveals who I am. Its almost sad, but I will try not to embarrass you too much then," she said with an exhausted smile. She turned away before they could say a word, melting into the darkness.

"What the hell was she talking about?" Yusuke asked, looking at Kurama.

"Hm. She knows that Koenma is after her. She must also know that he has found out whatever he was looking for about her. Apparently, it is not something to be proud of," Kurama said. Hiei stepped forward to follow her.

"Hiei, you should stay here until we can check with Koenma about her," Kurama said, looking down at him.

"I'll lose her trail if I don't follow her," Hiei said, stopping and looking up at the kitsune, his eyes hard.

"I'm sure that we will find her again eventually."

"Hn."

"Let's get Kuwabara back to his house," Kurama said. "And we can go from there."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Yay! Two updates real close together! -does little dance-

Kuwabara: yeah, well ya didn't havta beat me up so bad. -is currently in a hospital bed in J's room, as she insisted he was fine enough to leave, covered from head to toe in bandages, ice obscuring his face-

J: -rolls eyes- suck it up you wimp. 

Kuwabara: -pouts-

Yusuke: -is currently reveling in the fact that Kuwabara got his butt kicked- -hums happy tune-

J: anyway. Let's just skip to reviews.

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Reviews: 

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**miyako14**: ^_^ Thank you! I feel so loved! Three reviews only 12 hours after I posted it! Yay!

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**baka-chibi-puffs**:lol, you brighten my day, BCP! You're reviews are wonderful and very funny! Oh, and for the drugging part, Hiei didn't know he'd been drugged. Or, no doubt I would be down one character! ^_^'. thanks again!

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**SilverKnight7****:** yup, only half way! It's very long. Actually, I don't know how long! ^_^. But it's coming along nicely. Thanks for your review!

And the teaser for ya'll! ^_^ Just because I'm so evil.

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Teaser:

"What are you thinking about, Hiei?" Kurama asked. Hiei had not noticed that the kitsune's green eyes had been on him, studying him intently.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that the rain would wash away any trail she left behind," the fire youkai said.

"Yes. I thought you were in America? How did you get here?" Kurama asked.

"I found a stray portal. It closed after I went through it. It came directly here."

"You just happen to come across it?" 

"Yes. It was there and I walked through it."

"Hm," Kurama mused. There was silence between them for a long time, the only sounds being the rain outside the window. 

"Hiei," Kurama began. "You've changed. There is something differant about you now, although I cannot place it." Hiei turned to look at him.

"What do you mean? I have not changed, I am the same as I always was."

"No. Before-I don't exactly understand it, but I know that if I had asked your questions like this, and it had been a differant case, you would have answered differtantly."

"No, I wouldn't have," Hiei said, turning back toward the window. "I wouldn't."

++++++++

J: I know, I'm just so mean! -points to Hiei- it's all HIS fault! He makes me this way! -whine-

Hiei: -is startled- ME?!?!

J: yes you! -before Hiei can retort- okay, let's get on with it. Please review, ya know how much Isa loves it! ^_^

The purple button is EVERYONE's friend! Push it, I promise it wont bite! And if it does, then sue ff.net. ^_^


	21. Kurama's Flashback

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Warnings: let's see, pretty safe today. Kurama has memory issues! ^_^ 

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-One: Kurama's Flashback

"So, what did you learn anything from her?" Kurama asked Hiei innocently later that night. They had taken Kuwabara back to his home after he had regained consciousness, and were sitting in his house by afternoon. They had stayed at the residence for a few hours to ensure his safety. They had returned to Kurama's home a few hours later and, at the moment, sat peacefully in the silence, which was broken only by the steady rain falling outside the house. 

Kurama had looked over the boy's wounds and found them closed and slightly healed, but only enough as an incredibly weak healer could do. It confused him. She was a powerful healer before, having enough energy to heal three people quite well at the tournament. The battle could have accounted for some of it, but she had not used any of her spirit energy in the fight, so it was an unsolved question that he pondered over. 

"Yes. Some," Hiei replied. He was sitting on the window sill in the boy's room, watching the rain fall onto the leaves of the tree beside him, on the other side of the glass, drops of the liquid gently rolling down their surfaces.

"Why did she want to fight Kuwabara? And the way she did?" the kitsune asked carefully.

"She was angry, she needed someone to take her anger out on." Hiei shrugged. Kurama looked at him suspiciously. He was hiding something. Well, not exactly, he thought, he was just avoiding something.

"Is something wrong, Hiei?" Kurama asked.

"No."

"What did you learn there that is making you so cautionary? You can trust me with whatever you have to say."

'Hn, she practically said the same thing to me,' Hiei thought with a disdainful smirk that never chanced the opportunity to sneak to his face.

"Hn. There is nothing to say," was his blank reply.

"That's not true and I know it. Tell me, Hiei," Kurama said softly, but sternly. Hiei said nothing.

"Tell me about why she was angry." Nothing. Kurama waited. He knew that when Hiei was ready, he would speak, but not a moment before. Hiei thought. He felt if he said anything he was betraying Thorn's trust.

'What trust? I'm fooling myself,' Hiei thought. 'No, she trusted me, although I don't know why. I could have at least attacked, if not killed her, at anytime. I'm just confused. I should tell Kurama what he wants to know. If she is right then its only a matter of time until he finds out from Koenma anyway. I'll just answer his questions, nothing more. She won't blame me for that. Wait. Why do I care? Hn. I don't.'

"Because, her pet died," Hiei said.

"Her pet? I never would have thought. But why would she be angry because of that?" Kurama asked, confused.

"She was angry at the one who killed it, not because it died."

"Who killed it?"

"Her trainer," he said quietly.

"But I thought he was dead," Kurama said excitedly. He wanted desperately to ask how Hiei had come across this information, but refrained, not wanting to throw him off the subject into a bout of silence.

"I did too. But apparently not." Silence. He gained nothing more.

"Do you know why she was so weak when she fought?" Kurama asked, changing the subject, hoping to ask again later and gain something more.

"No more than you do. She did not use any of her energy."

"But afterwards, she seemed drained of her entire store of energy."

"She was fighting, from what I could understand, not only Kuwabara, but her trainer as well. I don't know. Its hard for me to understand it." Kurama did not press the question further. He was almost sure that Hiei was telling everything he knew.

"Did you happen to figure out who her trainer was?"

  
"No."

"Did you see what style she was trained in?"

"Not really. It was random." Actually, Hiei didn't know how to answer the question. She really didn't have much of a style, unless you count the ways she trained a style. She was taught the attacks of the dragons, but there were so many and could be so random that it was almost entirely pointless to say anything. Besides, he didn't want to give Kurama the idea that she was trained by the Black Blaze. She had said that she was taught _as_ he was, suggesting that it was not him that trained her. But she had never come out and said that he was or wasn't her trainer. It was too confusing.

"Did you pick up any habits that might suggest who he her trainer was?" Kurama asked when Hiei seemed to become engulfed into a cloud of silence.

"No. Only that the attacks were powerful. And she trained hard under his eye."

"Did you see him at any time?"

"No. There was no sign of him at all. I do not know how they communicated except for, perhaps, through the mind."

  
"But that would hardly seem reasonable. How could he train her if he was not there himself? It would seem impossible," Kurama thought out loud. His eyes looked off into the distance, thinking. Hiei did not offer anymore information. He shifted his position on the sill, turning toward the window entirely. All was silent but for the padding of rain on the tree and the outside of the house. Hiei watched the rain fall, reminding him of the two nights he was in the girl's house as it stormed. Last night especially intrigued him. He never remembered ever dreaming in his life. Never. And all of a sudden the dreams were there, haunting him like ghosts from his past. And that black wolf. What did it mean? Did it signify something? And why did the dreams stop right after he saw it? His mind whirled in confusion. If he slept tonight, would he dream again? And what made him sleep like that? He had a cup of coffee, which would have kept him awake for an extra few hours, not to mention the fact that he hardly slept anyway. He should have stayed awake all night. Something was strange about it. Perhaps she had made him sleep. She had proven once that she could put one to sleep by using just her mind. But why would she do that? No, he was making too much out of nothing. He shook his head.

"What are you thinking about?" Kurama asked. Hiei had not noticed that the youkai's wise green eyes had been on him.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that the rain would wash away any trail she left behind," the fire youkai said. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Yes. I thought you were in America? How did you get here?" Kurama asked curiously.

"I found a stray portal. It closed after I went through it. It came directly here."

"You just happen to come across it?" Kurama asked skeptically.

"Yes. It was there and I walked through it."

"Hm," Kurama mused. There was silence between them for a long time, the only sounds being the rain outside the window that continued to echo through the air, loud and resounding in the stillness. 

"Hiei," Kurama began. "You've changed. There is something different about you now, although I cannot place it." Hiei turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean? I have not changed, I am the same as I always was."

"No. Before-I don't exactly understand it, but I know that if I had asked your questions like this, and it had been a different case, you would have answered differently."

"No, I wouldn't have," Hiei said, turning back toward the window. "I wouldn't."

*

"I'm going to see Koenma today to see if he has any information that we should know about so he doesn't have to send Botan down," Kurama said two days later. Hiei had been restless again, knowing that it was because Thorn was out there, ready to fight him, and he was stuck in Tokyo, waiting because of that stupid fool and his puny injuries.

"Fine," Hiei growled. Kurama nodded and left. Hiei sat quietly in the tree beside the boy's window. It was warm, almost stifling. Not that the heat mattered to him. What was hot to a fire youkai? Nothing. No, it wasn't the heat that was causing his grumpiness. He didn't want to be here. He wanted... what did he want? To be kept busy, that's what. Yes, he wanted to fight, the thrill of the hunt. He was like this after the Dark Tournament, but to a milder degree. 

'It must be because I know that there's a fight out there just waiting for me and I'm just sitting here,' he thought irritably. He shouldn't just be sitting there, waiting, and he knew it. He should leave, to fight the battle he wanted so bad. But he felt... he didn't know. He was confused. He would wait. Wait for the right time.

+Meanwhile+

Kurama stood in front of Koenma's cluttered desk.

"Hello, Kurama," Koenma said, looking up. "Have you captured Thorn?" he asked hopefully, his voice practically begging for the answer the kitsune did not posses. Kurama shook his head.

"No. We met up with her two days ago." Koenma's eyes picked up an excited sheen, but dulled when Kurama explained what had occurred. He sighed.

"I don't blame you for not taking her when she was weak, and against her will, and against the rules of the battle. It would have been wrong and unfair. But from what I saw at the tournament, she was very powerful, so she shouldn't have been so weak after her fight. From what Botan told me, she was still exceptionally fresh after her battle with the leader of the thieves that had the Jewel of Greed. Its very confusing. Did you find out anything new about her that I don't already know? I know her one attack, the Black Dragon Claws, but that's all. Its no attack that I know of or have every heard of." Koenma sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know if Botan knew or told you, but I do know one attack that you might not have known about. Its called the Internal Fire," Kurama said. Koenma's jaw dropped, making his binky fall from his mouth. He quickly replaced it, his eyes large, never straying from the youkai's handsome face.

"D-did you say the Internal F-Fire? But there is only one creature that is known for that attack!" Koenma exclaimed. Kurama nodded solemnly.

"Yes. The Black Blaze. I originally thought that he was her trainer, but now I'm not so sure." Koenma looked at him, shocked and flabbergasted.

"But if she has that kind of power, then why doesn't she use it? There is something very, very odd about this girl. I thank you for your help, Kurama. I might be able to go on the information you just gave me. It might not be the Black Blaze, but another dragon that is training her. That's where I'll start. I'll send Botan down tomorrow to give you all an update on everything I find out," Koenma said, business in his tone. He began the clearing his desk of most of the papers and books and placing them on the floor with a large sweep of his arm. "Ogre! Bring me every book about dragons we have!" he yelled. Kurama nodded and left. 

It would be an anxious wait until then. He almost felt guilty about revealing an attack that she surely did not mean for anyone to see. She must have realized once he saw the attack it was only a matter of time until they found out whatever it is that she wanted to hide so badly. Dragons were every rare and powerful creatures. He remembered how he had come to discover the dragon and his powerful attack many years before, when he was still Youko, a thief and a legendary demon in himself.

-------Begin Flashback-------

_"We should be close, Kuronue," Youko Kurama said to his partner, glancing at him with his gold eyes. The black-haired demon beside him nodded, making his floppy hat dance slightly._

"Yes. It should be an easy steal," the other said with a smile. His black wings lay folded on his back, his torn hat sat firmly on his head, his high pony-tail bobbing just slightly. "There are no guards to get in our way. To think that such a worthy find would be left unguarded as it is." They traveled another few minutes without speaking, pondering contently over the obvious ease this mission should be executed in.

Suddenly, there was the heavy scent of fire and smoke, as well as burning flesh, billowing through the air with the ferocity of a newly-released river from a weak, crumbling damn. The two paused and looked at each other quizzically. A wild, forest fire perhaps? They continued on, silently. As they drew closer, they could feel the earth tremble with the foot-falls of some large, unseen creature, and hear distant roars with their sensitive ears. They quickened their pace, running over the ground easily, at times jumping into trees in hopes of catching a glance at whatever was causing such an uproar. But they saw nothing and they agreed silently that Kuronue should not fly up to search the area in case he was seen and recognized. The ground continued to quake beneath their feet and the smell became almost unbearable as they approached, the roars deafening. They crept toward the edge of the village, staying in the cover of the trees and their comforting shadows. They pulled away branches that beclouded their view of the village and were shocked by the lurid sight that greeted their eyes. 

A large, black dragon stood in the middle of the village, surrounded by burning houses and ashen ground, roaring in utter sadism. The depredation was amazing. Nothing stood that was not engulfed in fire, and hardly any creatures were alive that had stayed in the village. The ones still alive fled into the recess of the forest, screaming and yelling in terror. Blood was everywhere on the earth, bedaubing it in thick, ugly rivers of red and black on the burnt grass.

With a joyous grin, the dragon used his thick tail to grab a retreating demon. He pulled the terrified demon up to his face and grinned, revealing jutting teeth that dripped with blood and saliva. His bright blue eyes bore into the other's, making it sweat in fear. Between its eyes was an abrupt white scar, no doubt a remembrance of a bloody past. He placed the demon, which was screaming in utter horror and terror and waving its arms as well as kicking its legs, trying to escape, on the ground, using its tail to hold it in place. It took a large, silver claw and placed it on the squirming demon's chest. With a ecstatic laugh, its claw began to glow a sickly red, black rimming its deadly edges. The demon gave a final, bone-chilling scream before it vanished, leaving only a puff of smoke as a farewell to the world, which quickly was forgotten as the wind swept it away.

Kuronue and Youko looked at each other, shock widening their eyes and gapping their mouths. They began to back away slowly, being sure to keep their eyes on the large reptilian creature. When they felt they were safe, they turned and ran. 

They had seen the infamous Black Blaze. It was rumored that he was the most powerful creature in the entire demon world, that there was no one that could stop him as he killed and destroyed everything and/or anyone who got in his way...

-------End Flashback-------

Kurama made his way back into his house. It really would be a long wait.

*

"Nothing?" Hiei asked as Kurama walked into the room.

"A little. I told Koenma about her using the Internal Fire attack. He's researching every dragon in history as we speak," Kurama replied.

"Hn." Hiei did not turn. He didn't know if it was a good thing, trying to find out more about her, or a dangerous one.

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Authoress' Note: Yet another chapter for my faithful reviewers! I love you all! -huggles-

Hiei: just ignore her, she's hyper. She just had one of those chocolate lolly-pops.

J: -glare- Hiei-kun, you're so mean!

Hiei: hn.

All: -chuckle-

J: -glare to All- and what do you think you're laughing at?

All: -averts gazes- -whistles innocently-

J: -nods- hn, that's what I thought.

Kurama: J-chan, I want to thank you for letting me have a big part.

J:-glare- well, since _you_ wont write a one-shot about your past, I had to make up for it! Since I _know_ that some of our reviewers would like to read it.

Kurama: -puppy-dog eyes- But J-chan, I _have_ begun it..

J: _One_ friggin' sentence is _not_ 'begun'. -takes notebook Kurama has been using from his pocket- And to top it off, it's not even a sentence, it's a note! Telling you to… -reads- pick up milk before you go home! 

All: -giggle-

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Reviews:

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Miyako: ^_^ Thanks for saying I'm good at the fighting scenes. They're okay I guess (since everyone seems to be scolding me for saying that they aren't). Thank you!

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SilverKnight7: lol! ^_^ No, I'm no lawyer, and I don't have one. But if the button (Of which I noticed is NOT purple anymore since the renovations of the site -pout-) bit ya then you should hire someone! ^_^ Even though you wont get back your money for hiring them and paying for the case. But you might get reimbursed for the band-aid! :D Okay, and I see Everyone has questions. Read MidnightDream51's answers too, because I will give ya'll hints and teasers. But, the reason she broke the sword, was, if you noticed, it buzzed at her 'angrily'. I mean, I know because I'm the author and originally I was going to go in-mind with her as to what it said, but deleted it because it just didn't fit. She was pissed because it insulted her, called her weak or something. Grr, I can't even remember what I wrote oh-so long ago! And it fixed itself because of a little history I have stored in my head. The next chapter explains A LOT about the sword. ^_^ Thank you!!

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Midnightdream51: lol. Strange, no one's ever told me I update too FAST before. ^_^. And I must reluctantly agree that you are a bit slow in updating, but that's okay! I know that good stories take time. Heck, this one took me a little longer than I thought (meaning that it can't be too bad). Glad I motivated you! It makes me feel so special. -hugs self- good me! ^_^. Yay! Next two weeks?! Goodie! Lol, reliable?! Ha! There are times when I'm off by updating by a week! And then I feel bad for my reviews and don't want to loose any. (I know that if I read a story and the author doesn't update in a long time, I normally trash it from my favs list.) So I update, for the most part, every week, whenever the chapter decides it's ready to be posted around Thursday-Sunday. And your chapters are sufficient in size. Very appealing length, I say. -blush- okay, so I was just exaggerating just a smidge when I said chicken scratch. Lol! Don't feel that way! Your fic is wonderful! Lol, and if I hadn't written this thing ahead of time, then I'd be in the same boat as you, pulling out my hair in frustration as to how to make it better! Oo! You wrote a short story?! You must tell me! I don't care how crappy you think it is, if ya wrote it, it can't be that bad. (Not like my first real length fic, which I think is awful beyond compare). Lol, we both digress a lot, don't we? I agree, I've been threatening to stop reading books because I know that I could never write as good as professionals. It was either that or stop writing, and I know there are a handful of people who would HATE me for that. Lol. Yes, I think your right with the evaluating point you made.

I'm glade you liked my review! Know I'm so pleased! -is pleased-. It's no big deal if you only review once for two chapters. Heck, I read three of yours and only reviewed once! I'm just ecstatic that I get reviews at all! Keep on reading, I love reading your reviews, even if its only one! I'd rather have one long one than two or three mad short ones. 

^_^ I personally love Hiei's dream as well. I imagine it in my head and say, 'Ya know, that doesn't sound too bad'. LOl. And the fight scene, I suppose, since everyone keeps insisting that they're good, was okay. And lemme answer your questions now, before I get too carried away (haven't I already?)

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Hiei and Swimming: I had another ending to the story that involved Hiei swimming, but I threw it out because it just didn't fit into the ending I wanted. This was when the story was still _very_ young. When I had barely outlined what the ending would be.

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Hiei's Dream: basically, the drug that Thorn put in Hiei's coffee to make sure that he slept made him dream. And, as for the killing and Hiei knowing something was killing near-by, that was the black wolf, out 'hunting', remember? And about the horse, it originally was her dog, but I changed it. Just because I like making people stalk angrily across field and think stuff. ^_^.

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How has Hiei changed: You'll find out! ^_^ our little friend, BlackFire, tells us at a later date. (BlackFire, remember, is the name Thorn gave the sword)

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What has Koenma found out about Thorn: next chapter! ^_^ yer just one step ahead of me!

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What's up with the sword: **REMEMBER everyone: the sword is ALIVE! Don't ya'll remember from the night Thorn and Hiei talked in the hotel room after the Dark Tournament?! I think ya'll need to go reread that chapter! Dawning Impressions or something like that.

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What IS the sword: again, go reread! ^_^. He's ALIVE! Bwahahaha! -ahem- Frankenstein. Lol. Is he trying to control her? Will be said in a later chapter. I have an info one coming up… later. ^_^.

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Issues with the painting: okay, the painting is like a symbol. Its like the sword's soul, and it told Thorn what that -cough- wolf -cough- had done. Okay, I realize ya'll confused about the shape-shifting thing. Remember that he called her "Mistress". You have to think to yerself, 'now who would do that?' and you should get yer answer as to who it was. That is, if you don't already know.

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The twin thing: will be explained in a later chapter.

Lol, didn't think I'd actually answer these questions?! Well, I did.. Kinda. Yeah. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Baka-chibi-puffs: ^_^ you brighten up _my_ day. ALL my reviewers do! Your hyperness is refreshing! -glare to Hiei- be nice you kawaii lil chibi! Be a good pet for BCP! ^_^ I know, my teasers are _killers_! Lol. Thanks for bragging about me to your friends! It makes me feel specialer! Yes, Kuwabaka broke his stupid code! ^_^ well, I guess it's not too stupid. Just… frustrating at times. At first, I wasn't going to have him break it, but I couldn't resist! And Thorn not killing him might NOT be a good thing ^_^. I know, I'M SO MEAN! CHEESE TO THE CAKE, YA'LL! Lol, so cute, just had to say it in my own, hick tongue.

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Tomboy: yay! New reviewer! -twirls- wonderful! And yes, I have a bad habit of putting romance in my stories. Especially the ones I started over the summer. But, if (actually I am) I start one now, they're really depressing and stuff, a lot less romance. There will be a pairing at one point… kinda. Well, not really. But yes. Wait, no. yes. Gaa! I'm so confused now! Yes, well, read and find out!

**NOTE TO ALL: I sometimes have a bad habit of knowing something so thoroughly in my head, that I don't write it down because I see it as obvious, so please, PLEASE tell me if I do something stupid like that.

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Teaser:

"What's wrong with you, Botan?" Yusuke asked huffily. Kurama gently took the tape from her hand and placed it in the VCR.

"T-t-the.." she stuttered, only to be cut off as the tape began and she lost their attention to it. Koenma appeared, sitting at his newly-cleared desk, although papers still lay stacked haphazardly behind his over-stuffed chair, threatening to topple at the slightest vibration. The toddler looked saddened as he raised his chin to look at the camera and fright sparked in the depths of his brown eyes, although he tried desperately to subdue its easily recognizable shine.

"Greetings, everyone. I fear I have found information that will prove both frightening and confusing, as well as a new mission for you that this information relates to. First thing's first." He picked up a book that lay in front of him, out of view of the screen. It was open to some unknown page and he held it up, showing them the open page. "I'm sure you must recognize this." 

On the open page was a large broad sword, its hilt jutting two points of black at the base of the steel blade, and the dark blue sapphire imbedded in the butt of its hilt, which was made of shiny black scales. 

They all gasped in recognition. "This sword you see here is one that we had actually acquired many months ago, and just realized it had gone missing not too long ago. It had been stealing the souls of demons from the demon world, so we acquired it and put it in our safe, but, _somehow,_ it was stolen… 

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J: yes, where there's my daily evilness! ^_^ -twirls-

Hiei: I was wrong, I just asked her while she was writing the teaser and she's not hyper, she's excited because Adult Swim is coming back to Saturday nights. I find that frightening.

J: -glare- -stops twirling- well Mr. Huffy! Be that way! I was just thinking that I would be able to see _more_ of you guys! And if it's on AS then that means it's unedited! yay! -twirls-

Kurama: -weary look- I think I'll wrap this up. Since she's been so caught up in getting these chapters out, she has quite literally forgotten about the disclaimer the last couple of posts.

Kuwabara: Alright! I'm doing the disclaimer! -is still in hospital bed- SHE DOES NOT OWN US! I want to sue! Look at me!

Yusuke: well, I think it's an improvement really. -smirk-

Kuwabara: -glare- -struggles- Urimeshi, when I get outta this bed, you're so DEAD!


	22. Interrigation

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Warnings: This is one of those chapters that wrote itself. Seduction? Finally! Some answers! And this is one of those chapters you must read slowly or everything seems rushed. Then again, most of my work is like that… ^_^

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Two: Interrogation

Kurama and Hiei walked to Kuwabara's house the next day at about five o'clock. Koenma had informed them that he would send Botan down with a video to inform then on what information he had obtained in the last twenty-four hours and everything that he had learned previously. 

Yusuke and Kuwabara were already sitting on the floor, yelling at each other for some unknown reason, Kuwabara's words slightly slurred and hard to understand due to the of the still slightly bulbous swelling of his cheek. They stopped when Kurama and Hiei stepped into the room. Hiei snorted and Kurama shook his head with a small smile at their childish behavior.

"Hey you guys, what took ya so long?" Yusuke asked, rubbing the back of his head with a large, stupid grin.

"We're on time. You're early," Kurama pointed out. He moved further into the room, leaning against the far wall and crossing his arms. Hiei leaned his back against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. Kuwabara mumbled something under his breath, but Yusuke heard it and glared at him. It did not take long for the former argument to flame to life once again. The two youkai watched, shaking their heads at their amusing behavior.

Suddenly, they heard a thunderous pounding on the stairs. The argument quickly died down as their heads turned toward the closed door. Botan burst into the room, breathing hard, tape in a trembling hand. Her eyes were wide with fear and her cheeks were flushed from her surge of exercise. She held the tape up, swinging it wildly in front of their face. 

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"What's wrong with you, Botan?" Yusuke asked huffily, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at the interruption from his argument with the redhead beside him. Kurama walked across the room and gently took the tape from her hand and placed it in the VCR.

"T-t-the.." she stuttered, only to be cut off as the tape began to play on the television screen and she lost their attention to it. Koenma appeared, sitting at his newly-cleared desk, although papers still lay stacked haphazardly behind his over-stuffed chair, threatening to topple at the slightest vibration. The toddler looked saddened as he raised his chin to look at the camera and fright sparked in the depths of his brown eyes, although he tried desperately to subdue its easily recognizable shine.

"Greetings, everyone. I fear I have found information that will prove both frightening and confusing, as well as a new mission for you that this information relates to. First thing's first." He picked up a book that lay in front of him, out of view of the screen. It was open to some unknown page and he held it up, showing them the open page. "I'm sure you must recognize this." 

On the open page was a large broad sword, its hilt jutting two points of black at the base of the steel blade, and the dark blue sapphire imbedded in the butt of its hilt, which was made of shiny black scales. 

They all gasped in recognition. "This sword you see here is one that we had actually acquired many months ago, and just realized it had gone missing not too long ago. It had been stealing the souls of demons from the demon world, so we acquired it and put it in our safe, but, _somehow,_ it was stolen.The following film was actually taken from our safe's camera. It is not long, but I'm sure you will recognize the person and the item." The tape flickered to another scene, which was black and white, showing the inside of the vault.

/**Inside the Vaul**t/

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All was normal, but for the broadsword that had been shown in the book, which was vibrating on its stand. If sound had accompanied the filming, it would have buzzed an annoyed tune. Someone walked through the wall to the camera's left, and looked around cautiously. Yes, through the wall_. She was short, with long hair that fell nearly to her waist. She wore a dark tee-shirt with red writing on its front and dark, bell-bottom, jeans. She did not face the camera, but the machine picked up her features easily. She looked toward the middle of the vault, or what was close to the middle, were three mystical items lay, of which were familiar to all of them but for Kuwabara, before looking in front of her, making her hair flick in front of her shoulder, obscuring her face with many long, shoulder-length bangs that refused to remain behind her ears. She stepped forward boldly, but her step was also cautious as she walked toward the sword in front of her. She had the walk of someone who was used to sneaking around places they knew they weren't suppose to be. The stalking gait of a smart and cunning person. She knelt down. Her head tilted, as if she was listening to the vibrating sword, who seemed to calm as she knelt before it. She reached forward and touched it, running her hands down its length. A bright color shown around it, blinding even the camera. When the color faded, the camera filmed the two, unmoving but for the girl, who seemed to be talking to the sword. Finally, after a few moments, the girl looked around and stood up, picking up the sword as well. It grew smaller and suddenly invisible. She seemed surprised before rising her right pant leg and placing it against her leg, hiding it with her sock. She quickly made her way back toward the wall she had passed through and exited the room._

/End/

The screen returned to Koenma's grim face.

"You all, but for Kuwabara must recognize Rose, who got back her life after you defeated the Four Saint Beasts. She deceived us all into getting her life back and, at the same time, obtained a power that, no doubt, she could not control. The reason the sword is so important is that it is not a normal sword. In it is an imprisoned dragon, known by every demon in the worlds as the Black Blaze. He was a very powerful dragon that killed many people, mostly demons, but the rare human as well, in his six thousand year life, and consumed their souls. I have a picture of him here." He held up another book, revealing a picture of a dragon. Hiei gasped. It was nearly identical to the image painted on Thorn's wall. Only, in the book, the picture was black, with a white scar on the forehead of the creature, while the one on her wall was silver. But the eyes, they were both the same bright, insane blue. "A long time ago, a priest bound him to the sword shape he is in now. From the books I have read he has been imprisoned for nearly two centuries. He had been in the demon world before we brought him here, waiting for his welder. Only a human could weld him. And they must have a mind of steel to compete with the strength of his psychic powers, as well as a compatible heart. Apparently, Rose had both of these to be able to take him from the stand. Now comes the confusing part. How Thorn got a hold of the sword. If you notice they look a lot alike. The only thing I can think of is that Rose, perhaps, had a twin, or maybe its just coincidence that they look alike. But that is irrelevant. 

"Now, for your mission. You are to apprehend Thorn and the sword. Kurama, Hiei, I can only warn you once. DO NOT TOUCH THE SWORD! I do not want to risk you two to the sword's ability to steal demon souls. This, actually, puts us at a great disadvantage. Hiei is the fastest, and would be best suited for removing the sword, which is a main source of her power, while the others distracted Thorn. So now Yusuke must do this while the rest of you distract her. You will all need to work together to defeat her. She possesses the most powerful and deadly creature ever known. I wish you all good luck." With those final words the screen continued into its routine of credits, blanking out on Koenma's sorrowful face and grim expression. Kurama turned the screen off before they ended. They all sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Kuwabara spoke.

"Sho who's thish Rosh person?" he asked, looking up from the blank screen to the thoughtful faces around him.

"She's a girl who died after we defeated the Four Saint Beasts. We met her in Koenma's office before she got her life back," Kurama explained quietly. It was hard to believe that the girl who had bubbled over him, shaking his hand, was a thief. And somehow connected to Thorn as well.

'Looks can be deceiving,' he thought. 'I should have sensed it. That she was a thief. I'm sure I would have felt it if she was.' The kitsune lost himself in a thick cloud of thought. 'But it explains how Thorn knows so much about us, I guess. A twin? Or perhaps Thorn stole the item from Rose. But something seems wrong with that.'

"Its all my fault that she stole the sword!" Botan cried, irrupting in a fit of sobs, accompanied by harsh sobs. "I was taking her past the vault before we went back to the human world. I searched for her and she said she got lost. Its all my fault! I should have known. But she had such a frightened look in her eyes and she seemed so genuine when she told me!" The pilot to the River Styx buried her face in her hands and began to weep. "I was so stupid!"

"Hey, take it easy, Botan," Yusuke said quietly, turning toward her. "Its not your fault. You didn't know she was a thief." The girl's wails became louder as she turned and ran from the room. Yusuke cursed.

"Damn. I knew I recognized her from somewhere," the spirit detective growled under his breath.

"Well, how doo wee fin' 'er shen?" Kuwabara asked. No one answered him.

'That must have been what she meant when she spoke of her twin,' Hiei thought. 'But that doesn't seem right. Why would BlackFire… no, the Black Blaze, want to weaken Rose to train Thorn? Maybe because Thorn cares for Rose? Hm. There's a piece missing to this puzzle that will set everything into place. I know it. And it has something to do with Thorn's relationship with Rose. Now all I have to do is find it.'

"What do you think, Hiei?" Kurama asked, looking up across the room toward the fire youkai, breaking from his train of thought to verbalize the question. Hiei didn't answer for a moment, his eyes still pasted on the carpet beneath his boots. He didn't know what to say, really.

"Its obvious that we should find her and get that sword," Yusuke said to no one but himself. 'It shouldn't be that hard for me to get that sword, she's not that fast,' he thought, already trying to conjure an attack to take her down.

"No duh, Urimesshi," Kuwabara said. "Its finding her that'sh the problem."

"That might not be as hard as you think, Kuwabara," Kurama said, glancing at Hiei. "Hiei. Where did you find Thorn while you tracked her?"

Hiei looked up, trying to keep a glare from his eye. He didn't like being put on the spot as he was and Kurama knew it. And he didn't know if he should tell them either. What was he thinking?! Of course he should tell them! It was his job!

"Hiei?" Kurama questioned when the youkai did not answer. 

"I don't really know where the place was. But we should wait for her as she asked. It would probably be easier," he said.

"Bu' don'tcha thunk tha' sshe'll plot again't ush untul sshe finds 'ut?" Kuwabara asked, looking from Hiei to Kurama.

"She probably will," Yusuke muttered.

"But so will we. We will have to think of a way to get the sword. I have a feeling that it will take a lot more than just strength to get it with all her skill. It will take a strategy," Kurama said, eyeing all of them in turn.

"Nah, she can't be that strong. I mean, just look at what happened when she fought Kuwabara," Yusuke said pointedly.

"Yes, but if you think back to the other fights, like the one in Los Vegas, she was very powerful. She wasn't even serious then. And her healing abilities were exceptional at the Tournament, able to heal three of us and seem fresh just a few hours afterwards," Kurama reasoned.

"Yeah, that'sh righ'. When sshe wa' 'n the room affer the figh' sshe ssheemed normal again, even though affer 'ealing Urimesshi sshe had like none lef'. I' fel' almos' like sshe had a sh'ore o' energy tha' sshe never even ushed and jussh took I' an' recovered," Kuwabara said in his slur. 

"Well Koenma said the sword was the source of her power, right? So that must have been where she stored her energy. She must have done the same thing when she fought Kuwabara, put all her energy in the sword," Yusuke said.

"Sso when sshe broke the ssword, like you tol' me, then sshe muss huve only ha' a li'lle o' her own powersh lef' in her body," Kuwabara said, thinking through his swollen jaw. They all pondered over the thought a moment. Suddenly, unnoticed, Hiei's eyes widened. His fingers smoothed the paper in his pocket, forgotten as he watched Koenma on the television. Just as before, she was near. No doubt she had been stalking them, waiting for the moment they would find out, he just hadn't noticed it as he did now. It was faint. She was hiding her energy easily, even from the 'map'; but, apparently, it could still pick up her signal. He almost gave a small smirk, his eyes closing. He straightened and exited the room without being noticed. The others were still in deep thought and not even Kurama saw the youkai leave through the open door. 

"Where are you going, Hiei?" Shizuru asked, coming up the stairs with some drinks on a tray, looking up at the fire youkai.

"For a walk," he replied in his usual, blank tone, walking past her down the stairs and exiting the house. She turned back to watch him before her eyes narrowed, her mouth setting, and continuing her way up the stairs to the three remaining boys.

Hiei looked around a few moments, glancing down a few alleys and on the top of buildings, but not frantically so. He held the paper 'map' firmly in his hand. He was getting closer, he could tell, by the amount of heat and energy the parchment was beginning to give off. But he continued to walk calmly. A few moments later, he was jerked from his concentration on the 'map' to a sudden cry that echoed from the sky, making him look up and around. A golden-feathered eagle circled above him once before flying straight, along the road. Hiei grunted and crept into an alley, effectively jumping to the rooftops. He skipped along them easily, following the bird as it lead him in a westerly direction, into the path of the now setting sun.

'Kurama is following you,' came a familiar voice into the youkai's mind, overriding the barricade of mental defenses he had.

'Thorn. I have to ask you some questions,' Hiei said to her, keeping his eye on the gliding figure in the distance. The eagle turned back and circled back past him.

'Keep going,' she said. 'I'll find you in a little while. Shake Kurama from your trail and I'll come find you so that we may talk.' The eagle swooped low near a building on the other side of the street, watching him, he knew, but Hiei continued on for a long while. Finally, he came into the direct center of the city, where he stopped and looked down on the milling humans, who were wandering around the streets, seemingly without purpose in an aimless jumble of limbs and breath. He jumped down from the building and began to walk back the way he had come. He knew that if Thorn was right, he would meet up with Kurama along the way.

Sure enough, he did meet Kurama along the way. The kitsune was walking along quietly, his hands in his pockets as he strolled down the sidewalk.

"Hello, Hiei," he greeted placidly.

"Kurama," Hiei nodded.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to take a walk. To think," Hiei said, stopping in front of his friend. The kitsune stopped as well.

"Yes. This mission will be a confusing one. She is a confusing person," Kurama said, looking around the emptying streets.

"She is."

"But I have a feeling that she's less confusing to you than she is to me." Kurama's voice was not accusing, but Hiei could not resist glaring at him.

"I have studied her, yes. But, if anything, it makes her harder for me to figure her out than it will for you. What I have seen might prove to be conflicting with what we know," Hiei replied evenly

"Hiei. If you would tell me everything you learned, then she would become less confusing for both of us and we could get this mission over much faster," Kurama reasoned. Hiei did not look at him, instead turning to look at a passing human along the other side of the street. 

"I've told you all before. This is my mission. I can handle it," Hiei said.

"Do you understand what you're going up against? The Black Blaze's power is unlimited. Once he consumes a soul, he gains its greatest power. If he were to somehow get your soul, we would all be finished if he were to learn the Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack." He paused, looking over the black-clad youkai. "But I have a feeling you already knew that," Kurama said. Hiei nodded, holding his friend's intense gaze stubbornly. "I know that you communicated with her. Somehow she found you and you ended up speaking with her. She gained some of your respect. Somehow. She is seducing you, Hiei, for your soul. She is trying to gain your trust so she can take your power. She might not be doing it intentionally, maybe the Black Blaze is forcing her to do it. I don't know right now. That is why I did not want you to go after her after her battle with Kuwabara. I knew that if the Black Blaze was her trainer he would want your power."

Hiei was dumbfounded to hear the kitsune speak as he was. But he did not move, his expression was frozen in blankness. No. That was foolish thinking.

"Don't be a fool, Kurama. I'm not stupid enough to get caught in a trap like that. Yes, I spoke to her when I first came to America. I needed to find a way to find her, so I found a way to lure her to me. I talked to her while we fought, nothing else. I ended up losing to the rules of the battle and lost her. But I tracked her down and followed her," Hiei explained. "I am no fool, Kurama, so don't ever take me as one."

"I do not take you as a fool, Hiei. I never have. I just don't want you to go headlong into a battle that will kill you," Kurama said quietly. Hiei snorted.

"I never go into a battle I'm an not sure I can win."

"Hm. Well, there's a first time for everything," Kurama said, turning away. "Think about what I've said, Hiei." Hiei watched him go, his ruby eyes burning into his back.

'How dare he? I can take care of myself,' Hiei thought angrily, although his temper was hardly ruffled. He knew that Kurama was only looking out for his well being. Yet still. She was an enemy, yes, and he had always seen her as such. That would not change. He turned and walked away, replacing his hands in his pockets. He fingered the paper in his pocket, following its heated directions as he walked, still pondering over what the kitsune had said.

'But what if he's right? It wouldn't matter. I wont get pulled into a trap like that. Besides, I'd have to touch the sword for it to kill me. As long as that doesn't happen, I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about,' Hiei thought as he made his way toward the outskirts of the city. Trees loomed in the distance, into the sun, which was just beginning to descend from its zenith in the sky. People, much to his dismay, were becoming more and more abundant in the rush hour time of day. But he was nearly out of the city now, and it did not bother him as much as it would have due to the thoughts that ran through his head. 

Overhead he heard the cry of an eagle and looked up to see one circling and gliding along air currents in the sky, which was slowly gaining color as the sun began to set. With another scream, it took toward the path he was taking into the thick trees before him. He continued on, following its flight deep into the forest. He stopped as he felt the energy on the 'map' in his pocket explode suddenly and looked around. To his right, in a tree branch about twelve feet off the ground, was Thorn, twirling a cigarette in her fingers. It was unlit. A question struck his mind dumb.

"No. I don't smoke. But I like to revel on how disgusting humans are," she answered to his thoughts softly. She broke the white stick in half, letting the contents stream to the ground.

"There you go again," Hiei said, turning toward her.

"What do you mean?"

"Talking about humans like you weren't one of them," he answered, watching her stoic face. She was silent for a moment.

"Because I no longer am a pure human," she said quietly. Hiei looked at her wearily.

"What do you mean?"

"My twin was pure human. I am not. BlackFire has tinted my blood. That's what makes me so different than my twin. That's what makes her weaker." Hiei did not say anything, but was surprised. Surely Kurama could have smelled her demonic blood, right? Then why didn't he? Well, it didn't matter, but it did answer a few questions.

"I take it you were there to listen to Koenma telling us our next mission?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," she said simply.

"Then you know that I could kill you right now and he'd be happy."

"You're wrong. As long as I have BlackFire, or the Black Blaze as you call him, I cannot die. And if I come close then I will fail to contain him. And if that were to happen, now that he has found a body, he will emerge, and repeat the destruction that he began as an infant and continued for centuries. And I'm sure Koenma would not be happy with that." Hiei looked at her skeptically, but did not doubt what she said. "But you said you had questions to ask me. Ask them, but I will tell you the same thing I told Kurama, there is only a small chance I'll answer them. But I'm willing to give you some information. After all. I know far more about you than you do of me and it would only be fair." She shrugged.

"Who is Rose?" he asked, lining up the questions in his head. This one would answer the most questions the fastest, he reasoned.

"My twin."

"Where is she?" At this she smiled, laughing quietly to herself. Hiei grunted.

"I don't see what's so funny," he said. She gave him a side-long glance.

"You would if you were me."

"Just answer the question." She looked forward again as she raised a hand and began to tap her temple with her index finger.

"She's right here," she said. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I can see you're confused."

"I am."

"You know, during the storm, you were thinking about what I had said about how storms were like people?" she asked.

"Yes," he said through grit teeth, clearly angered at having her hack into his mind without him knowing.

"Well you had said 'She is two people. She is two rain clouds. But she says she is the wind. Indifferent. Which makes her three people. A confusing person.'." She looked at him. "Well, you were right. I am two people. Two rain clouds. One is Rose, who begs to be strong, and does not mind manipulating or deceiving, but finds killing distasteful. Then there is BlackFire. He holds a great strength, even more powerful than you or Kurama or you two combined. He finds killing delightful and demands the blood once a month, as well as a soul. But me. I am and the Wind. I am what has come of the clashing of the two clouds, a neutral party that follows the orders of the one who wins the battle. But since it is normally BlackFire, I have become less and less Rose. She is my sister. Yet she is not. We are the same person, altered by the strict training of BlackFire." She sighed just slightly and turned back to watch the west as the sun made its way slowly toward the horizon. A small breeze ruffled her hair. Hiei was forced to look away, not wanting to stare. But she was beautiful. Her coppery skin covering a lithe, yet strong body. Her long dark hair with its golden mirrors, reflecting the sun, was so soft looking, he wanted to touch it, so see if its softness was just an illusion or if it really was as silky as it looked. Her face was smooth, perfect, framed by two, thin, unruly locks that refused to remain behind her ears. Hiei ground his teeth. Was it as Kurama said? That she was seducing him for his soul? Agg! He should stop thinking like this. He turned back to her, she was looking at him again.

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask?" She hinted at something. Damn, he thought. She must know. Well, he wasn't about to ask. At least, not now.

"Why did you steal him?" he asked. She growled and removed her glare, sending it into the branch she was sitting on.

"I did _not_ steal him. I rescued him. I guess you could say I broke him out of jail. Although he hopes for me to break him out of a much more permanent, more confining prison. His sword shape. But I did not steal him. Frankly, Rose forbids stealing, as does BlackFire," she said, the bite retreating from her voice as she spoke.

"Yet you let him steal the souls of the dead," Hiei quipped. 

"No. He does not steal them. He just takes them. Their body has discarded them and so he accumulates them, taking their powers to ensure that they live much longer than they would in another body. Although I can see that you do not believe me, and I doubt that anyone else would either. But that is what I will tell you."

"I want to know. Are you controlled by the Black Blaze?" he asked, looking up at her. She smiled just a little.

"Do you really need to ask that question? You really don't need it answered. You have the answer."

"Do I?" he asked skeptically.

"You do. I did not draw blood, even when BlackFire was screaming at me, pressuring my mind and body to kill Kuwabara. I resisted, and succeeded in my mission," she told him. 

"So he does not control you completely," Hiei summed up.

"He hardly controls me. Actually, Rose seems to control me more than he. At least, in the day she does. At night, he becomes more powerful, but she still remains in control. Actually, the night we battled was just me, it was my night of freedom. But still, he does become stronger in the darkness of night," she explained.

"Why does he kill as part of your training?"

"I told you that a few days ago, Hiei. You're just wondering if I have a different answer. I don't," she said.

"Hn. By killing what Rose holds close to her, he weakens her and gains more of your mind. Correct?" She nodded. "Why does he want that?"

"The weaker Rose becomes, the stronger he becomes. The more of my mind he has, the closer he becomes to killing Rose. Once she 'dies' or he becomes too powerful for her, he can acquire this body. But we, meaning Rose and I, will not let him. I may be a neutral party, but I still have my own thoughts and understand that he will only take this body and begin his reign of destruction once again. We don't want that. Yes, I know it sounds like we are trying to save the world, and in a way we are, but in all reality, we are just trying to save ourselves. We really don't care about the world, and we care less about its inhabitants with the exception of the strongest creatures. Of which, we feel, do not include humans. But there is one thing he does not know about us." She paused, removing the sword from her back and thrusting it into the tree's branch. Immediately, it creased to glow and its song stopped abruptly. It seemed to have fallen sleep. "Once I have taken his power, I will be the next 'dragon of destruction,' as he put it, and Rose and I will be the most powerful creature in all the worlds. He will never again control us." There was a long pause, as she seemed to finish.

"If you are trying to save yourselves, then why not just get rid of him?" Hiei asked. She smiled and brushed her long and callused, yet soft, fingers across the hilt of the silent sword.

"Because, first of all, both Rose and I hold him very dear. Although his methods of training are harsh and anger us, it makes us stronger, and we are grateful for it. But there is another reason." She took a breath as though to gather her thoughts. Jealous thoughts. "If there were to be another human who would get him, they might not be as strong as us, and he might be unleashed once again." Her tone suggested jealousy for the mentioned 'someone' that was not herself. "Both Rose and I are selfish and wish to have him only to ourselves. That is why we wont let Koenma obtain him. We want his power. We want his strength." Hiei thought about this for a long moment. The silence continued. It did not end, even after the youkai had collected his thoughts.

"You have one more question," she said finally. 

"Actually, that is all I came to ask," Hiei said. "I should go, Kurama did not want me to come."

"Yes, I know everything that you two spoke of. Although, he did not know you were coming to see me. He gave you a warning, and you want to know the answer to it," Thorn said, glancing at him briefly.

'What is she talking about? Does she mean when Kurama told me that she wanted my soul? Does she really?' Hiei thought. Thorn chuckled softly.

"What?" he asked with a slight snap.

"BlackFire says yes. Rose said no. So conflicting," she said with another gentle rumble echoing from her throat. Hiei growled.

"But what do you say?"

"I have no say, I'm just a neutral party," she said with a shrug.

"Tell me." She sighed.

"I say both. At first, that was the idea. I was, at that time, listening mostly to BlackFire and I was trying to get both yours and Kurama's souls. But now, now I say not anymore."

"So at first you were just trying to get our souls, nothing more. But now you're not. Is that right?" he asked. She nodded. Not guiltily, just agreeing. "Is that why you followed us for so long?"

"Actually, no. But yes as well. I followed you at first to pay my debt. I owed Koenma mine as well as Rose's life, and so paid him back by saving yours. I also owed him BlackFire, a prize that was worth much more than just the couple healings I gave at the Tournament. So I found out where your next mission was and followed you, saving your lives. Really, he cannot take us, we have paid for every favor he gave us. But I don't want him to know just yet. I'll tell him soon enough. But I want to fight you four first. I'll only use it as, I guess you can almost call it blackmail, when or if I need to. Only if you four are much more powerful than I think you are. But I have studied you all extensively, and highly doubt it."

'So that's what she meant when she had a debt,' Hiei thought.

"So when you excepted Kurama's offer for training, that was to find our weakness'?" he asked aloud.

"Yes. It was supposed to be used as a time I could study your styles, and weakness' as well so that I could find the perfect time to take your souls," she admitted.

"But…?" Hiei hinted, prodding her on.

"But I thought better of it after the first week, although I did want to continue to use it to enhance my human abilities," she said with another shrug. "And that's all you need to know," she said, closing the subject.

"Hm," Hiei mused. She didn't seem to be hiding anything anymore. She was being very open with him. "Why are you answering my questions?" She turned to look at him.

"Because you asked."

"That's not what I mean. I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I am your enemy, so why are you telling me everything I want to know?" he asked. He had asked her this question many times, and not just aloud, but in his mind as well. But it still plagued him that she would tell him what seemed like truthful answers to all his questions. Unless they did not matter to her. But, no doubt, she had revealed something, although he might not be aware of it, that could be used as blackmail.

"Because I do not fear you telling anyone anything that matters."

"Why?" She smirked.

"You find my trust in you disturbing. Because, Hiei, I know that you, too, have many secrets that you would not like anyone to know about. You know that I am aware of your past. You would not be so foolish as to try to blackmail me when I have much more powerful information to blackmail you with. But in reality, I do not like to rely on my blackmailing skills. I only use it as a last resort. I know that you wont tell anyone, its just the way you work." Hiei gritted his teeth. She was right, in every way; unfortunately. He growled silently. Her face flickered just slightly into the most fleeting of smirks. 

"You shouldn't be so sure that's how I work," he growled aloud. "I can be just as unpredictable as you." This time, the smirk turned into a smile and decided to stay as she looked down at him, her right leg swinging slightly over the branch's edge.

"That's what makes it so perfect. You are unpredictable in almost every sense. That's what makes it so entertaining. Never really knowing if you'll tell or not, yet knowing you wont," she said, the smile evident in her voice. "I mean, unless I lose my form of blackmail on you. For example, you tell Yukina that you are her brother. But, as you've said, you are a rogue and a felon, and you want better for her than what you are. Not to mention your Jagan Eye would kill you because of a certain promise you made in your past. Although I disagree with the thought that you would be less than the best of siblings to her, it is your choice not to tell her, or have someone else tell her. Not that I would tell her. I wouldn't. I would want you to tell her. She deserves that much. And it would make you look less like a coward." She leaned back on the tree's trunk, either ignoring or not seeing the heated red glare that came her way. She sighed and closed her eyes, resting her left elbow on her left knee, the tips of her fingers caressing the hilt of the weapon that still lay imbedded in the tree trunk, running over the smooth scales and the round, sapphire gem. Hiei watched her in the silence. But it wasn't really silent. Birds flew in the air, chirping and screeching as they flew through the trees in the dimming light. The air rustled around them lazily, making the trees sigh contently in its wake.

Hiei began to turn away. Every question he had had been answered.

"Where are you going?" Thorn asked curiously, neither opening her eyes nor turning toward him but hearing his movements. The huff of his cloak, the nearly silent crush of litter beneath his boots. Hiei paused and turned back to look at her.

"I am done here. I have nothing more to say or ask. There is no reason for me to stay," he answered.

"I see," she answered. But sadness seemed to trace the depths of her voice. Hiei was surprised to hear it. "I enjoy your company, Hiei. I really do."

"Hn," he grunted. 

'I do too,' he thought, again turning away and walking back the way he had come. He missed the smile that spread over her face as she felt him leave, but he knew that she had heard his unspoken words.

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Authoress' Note: yet another chapter completed!

Kurama: SHE WANTED OUR SOULS?! J-san, how could you?!

J: -shrug- I dunno. I didn't even see that turn coming when I wrote this chapter. And I knew that I had to have a 'questions answered' type chapter or else I'd totally confuse everyone.

Kurama: -chibi pout- but why?

Random Fangirls: -swoon-

J: -glare- damn them! -stalks off toward fan girls, who are currently drooling over Kurama's chibi pout-

Yusuke: -rolls eyes- _any_way.

Kuwabara: an' I dun talk li'e tha' no mo'e.

Yusuke: -rolls eyes- baka. Yes you do.

Kuwabara: nu' I dun! -slurs from wheelchair- -glare through bandages-

J: -comes back after chasing away fan girls- -sigh- damn them. -looks to Kuwabara- are you still playing that stupid 'feel bad for me because I'm sick' game? Because it's getting really old. -gets out magic spoon-

Magic Spoon sparkles and Kuwabara's bandages and wheelchair disappear, as well as his slur.

Kuwabara: -eyes water- -runs off crying-

Hiei: -rolls eyes- now you've done it. He'll go to our owner and whine. Baka.

J: -growls- better not or I'll have to hurt him… -thinks- or make a fool outta him. -evil grin-

Yusuke: he's done it now. Baka.

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Reviews:

SilverKnight7: hai, evil! ^_^ hmm, question of the day! But it's answered in this chapter, so I guess you don't need me to tell ya! Hai, finals do suck. I have midterms -scrunches up face is disgust- well, I'm happy that yer online reading stories. ^_^ makes me feel special!

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Miyako14: here's yer update! Enjoy!

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Midnightdream51: a swift update today! Freeze day here in central NY so no school! Yay! ^_^. Lol, yes, I'm sooo covering for you about the good stories take time -cough-not -cough- it's true! Good stories DO take time! same here about trashing stories. I loose interest and stuff. And I start so many that I have to get rid of some of them. -shrug- dun worry, you wont loose ME. I'm way too eager to read yer story! Well, make the plot 'reappear'! ^_^ get a magic kitchen utensil like myself! (I OWN the magic wooden spoon). Oohh. Well, get the story on yer comp finished and post it! ^_^ now I'm excited and can't wait to read it! -hits over head with wooden spoon- well, git yer willingness back! -grins- o:D And I really _do_ wanna read the story you took off! Pweease ? -pout- with sugar on top and… Kuwabara for rent? Lol. And I read sucky work all the time, so don't be so embarrassed! (and in all truth I really do have nothing better to do ^_^') 

All selfishness/stupidity is excused! ^_^ and the question part was n/p. I enjoyed it! It made me think about the readers point of view so that I could edit this chapter to make It better! ^_^ and I DID make it a lot better. And the pressure to update is GOOD! Lol. And I DO pressure you.. Right now! ~Pressuring J: update now dammit! I wanna read! Grr! Don't make me get the spoon out and hit you!~ lol. ^_^ j/k about the magic spoon bashing part. YAY! Glad you made the connection. I do realize now that it was a very sketchy connection that I made, but in the next two chapters he's revealed as being the wolf :X whoops! Wasn't suppose to say that! All: -shake head- -mumbles- can't keep a secret… ^_^' anyway. Lol, yes, last chapter was an informative chapter, as will be the next few until… a big scene I have planned. ^_^ glad my answers helped! -grins- I LOVE suspense! And I like keeping people in it, just not so long that they'll go insane or anything… cuz then, I've learned, they can't read! -looks nervously over at readers of first few fics, mumbling incoherently in straight-jackets- *sweat drops* err.. Yeah. ^_^ thanks again for the wonderful review!  
  
**_Teaser_**:

Hiei shook his head. No, she wasn't trusting him. No doubt she could have jumped up at any moment and caught him off guard. But his guard had been tough that night, he had ensured it. That must have been why she did not attack. No, she had just been using a mask to give the image of being careless. Rose had been a good actor, she must have picked up that trait from her. That's it! She was acting. Nothing more. Well that answered alot of questions. 

Hiei settled back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes as he became comfortable. Well, if it answered so many questions, then why did he have the feeling there were still many that went unanswered?

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J: yes, well next chapter just happens to be kind of short. I know I know, dun get mad, but it is! Goman. 

Please review, for the newly-white button makes Kuwabara suffer emmence pain and gets Hiei sweet snow!^_^

Hiei: you had better review….

  



	23. Uneasy Rest

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Warnings: another chapter one must read slowly.… alright, nothing bad in here. No swearing even! 0.0. I know! 

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Three: Uneasy Rest

Kurama turned toward his window as he entered his room, looking out into the fading sky. He had walked around the city for over an hour before deciding to go back to his home. Dusk was just beginning to come about and heavens were just starting to darken. But mostly the shadows were just lengthening their hungry yawns, doing little more. Looking into the tree beside his window's shadows, he could just make out a more heavily shadowed form sitting there, staring off into unseen space, although it was clear that it had heard him enter.

"Did you find any answers to your questions, Hiei?" Kurama asked as he observed the youkai from the other side of the window pane. Hiei did not move, so deeply engrossed in his thoughts was he. Kurama gave a small smile and shook his head, walking over to his desk and sitting down. Apparently, Kurama thought, he was still brooding over his questions, trying desperately to find their illusive answers.

Hiei ignored the kitsune's question with a sense of almost relief. He had heard it of course, but it did not register in his mind as his thoughts wandered around the recess of his mind. He questioned what exactly she had meant by saying that she enjoyed his company, questioned what _he_ had meant when he had said the same. Agg. He was in such a confused state. All of his questions had been answered, yet he felt more questions rise within him like a dammed river, begging to burst free, only to be held in place by a barrier he could not break. Questions that had no words. Questions that were like his dream, fleeting, yet long-lasting in the deepest recess of his mind, only feelings making them evident. Questions he could not ask, yet he wanted to desperately. He fell asleep countless hours later after trying to place the questions, to bring words to their blank and unreconizable faces. He failed to do so and slipped into the darkness of slumber.

*

Hiei's sleep was restless and unnerving. He twitched and mumbled in his blank and empty sleep. Kurama awoke late that night to the sounds of his fidgeting outside the window and sat up in bed, unsure as to their origin, his eyes casting around the room suspiciously. Never before had he heard Hiei so much a mutter a word in his sleep, nor had he ever seen him move. But for tonight... He got out of bed and went over to his window, carefully peering into the inky darkness from which Hiei lay as a deeper shadow on the tree branch. The youkai's face was contorted strangely, a mixture of emotions that Kurama had never seen grace his features. 

"Hiei," Kurama said gently, trying to wake the youkai from his uneasy rest. The fire demon's eyes flew open, glancing around him quickly, his hand instinctively bolting to his katana as he jumped to his feet and unsheathing it with a menacing metallic hiss. But it was not as quick as it used to be, when he had been in the demon world and his training peaked. His skills, sadly, seemed to have weakened just slightly in these months of being in the human world with little to challenge him but small, insignificant cases that Koenma put him on. Yet tonight he was faster than he had been in a long while. He was on edge about something, the fox could see.

"Kurama," Hiei said, sheathing his sword and sitting back down as he recognized the voice that had spoken to him. He gave a silent sigh in relief. "What is it?" he asked darkly, his gaze turning out into the darkness of the night.

"You were talking to yourself in your sleep. It sounded like you had a bad dream." Hiei snorted, looking off toward the streetlight that flickered on the road in front of the Minamino house.

"I don't dream, Kurama," he growled, putting his right wrist on his right knee and again gaining the same blank stare that Kurama had seen when he had returned home earlier.

"Hiei. You cannot hide it any longer. There is something wrong with you," Kurama said gravely. Hiei glared at him, showing just the tips of his fangs as he expressed his opinion of the kitsune's prying. But Kurama did not waver at this apparent sign of annoyance and aggression.

"You don't seem to know what it is that is bothering you. I don't either. But you had better find out what it is, or it will haunt you until you do," Kurama said wisely, his face pale and smooth in the straining starlight.

"I don't need your advice, Kurama. I'm just a little... confused. That's all. Go back to sleep. I'll be fine." Kurama gave him a yeah-right-like-I'm-going-to-buy-that, skeptical look. "Don't worry about me. Go," Hiei said to the look, letting his tones darken slightly. Kurama sighed in defeat and retreated into the shadows of his room after giving him one last, respectful, look.

Hiei looked up into the clear sky, watching the stars as they smiled gaily from their places. It reminded him of the lonely nights in the demon world. The coldness that had seeped into his body as he dozed, forever ready for an ambush that might come upon him in his youth. The ice was always in his blood then, constant and persistant. Especially at night, when the stars bared their fangs in evil glee and the moon mocked his loneliness with its taunting grin as it moved across the sky, always watching him like the eye of a blind, yet determined mother who was destined to pester her son about his short-comings. But here, suddenly the nights seemed warmer, more comforting. At least, they had in the last week and a half or so, perhaps longer. That night that he and Thorn had watched the stars and the moon drift across the sky had made him feel different about the night. Her joy in it made him realize that he had always hated the night for the potential dangers it could bring. But she had loved it, smiling happily, as if nothing else mattered but enjoying the freshness that it brought and the beauty that came with it. But the morning. She had dreaded it. Why? Because it was the ending of the night, of course. And she didn't seem to want it to end. He had learned that night that the darkness, no matter how many dangers it might hold, could still be enjoyed for its beauty. She had been sitting next to an enemy for countless hours, not caring about the danger she was currently in as she watched the sky dance about in it's beauty. So free and uncaring.

Hiei shook his head. No, she wasn't trusting him. She couldn't have been. No doubt she could have jumped up at any moment and caught him off his guard. But his guard had been tough that night, he had ensured it with painstaking carefulness. That must have been why she did not attack, because she knew of his tight defenses. No, she had just been using a mask to give the image of being careless in hopes that he would loosen his defenses. Rose had been a good actor, she must have picked up that trait from her. That's it! She was acting. Nothing more. Well, that answered a lot of questions. 

Hiei settled back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes as he became comfortable. Well, if it answered so many questions, then why did he have the feeling there were still many that went unanswered?

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Authoress' Note: I know I know! Don't hurt me! -random people throw random objects-

J: -dodges- It was a short and almost meaningless chapter, but I had to be posted sometime! Just be happy I did it so soon after a nice, long chapter! -opens clenched eyes-

All: -hide random objects-

Kuwabara: -hides kitchen sink-

J: -eyebrow twitches- YOU _GUYS_!!!!!!! -chases-

A: eep! -runs-

J: -gets out magic spoon- -twirls it and lassos all YYH cast who were throwing random objects- you should know better! Grr…

Kurama: now, now, J-chan, you need them for the next chapter. -sweet tone- -stands next to J-

J:-glare- don't make me put you in there too, Foxy.

Kurama : ^_^' -sweat drop- -backs away-

Hiei: baka! Get off my foot!

Kuwabara: I will when you get off my elbow!

Gen Kai: shut up! -grumbles- this is what I get for being with these oafs. 

J: well you wouldn't be if you weren't throwing stuff at me.. -huff-

Gen Kai: I wasn't! 

J: oh… whoops. ^_^'

Yusuke: Keikoooo…. Nice panties today

SMACK!

Yusuke: gaaa @.@

Kurama: he'll never learn.

J: nope. Alright, now that I've stopped getting pelted with random crap… -glare to all-

All: -gulp-

J: let's get started! 

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Reviews:

**Tomboy(Tomboy@satx.rr.comT****):** Thanks for yer review! I appreciate it. Well, this isn't even close to the most suspenseful part! You just wait, my friend! Was it obvious that Rose and Thorn were the same person? Well, you'll have to keep reading, because there's a twist to that part of the story too!  


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Midnightdream51: Yert! I live in NY. Brr, it's freezing though! Like, 28 below zero windchill! But no school for Five days! -does happy dance- yay! No school this past Thrus or Fri, sat or sun, and no school Mon! ^_^ No school is awesome, because it makes me update more! Aww, hope you feel better. I know what you mean about the not a lot of stories at one time thing. I only have this one posted, but I have five or six others that I'm writing on the sidelines, including the sequel to this one. But I'm nearly done with that one, so never fear! Yes, they _do_ take up a lot of thinking time. That's what I'm pondering about during Math and Global! ^_^ fun! fun! Yes, must have gooooood plot. Everyone loves a good plot! I'm the same way with the stories I'm writing. It'll be a while before I post any of them. It took me all summer to write this one! Literally. From early June before school ended until like the first three weeks of school. Then I started on the sequel, which I have yet to fully type! Grrr.. And I know the feeling about not being able to write from scratch at any time. That's why I always at least get to the final scene before I post my stories, that way I know I will be able to finish it even if I do loose interest. Wow, yer ways of thinking out the story are.. Different I must say. I think them out start to mostly finish. Normally I end up having the beginning and end and just fill in the middle with whatever comes to me at the time. ^_^' crazy, we authors are. And I _still_ would like to read the story about the wolf. As a fact, I have one kinda like what yer describing in the works. I started it in 6th grade and just have yet to finish it because I don't know exactly how I'm going to end it other then everyone dies. ^_^' I know, I'm crazy, but that's how my mind works. I too hate the 'happy ever after' crap that a lot of people write. Yes! Hai! You _muumuus _e-mail it to me! ^_^ oh, Hiei was originally for rent, but I changed it because I don't think I'd be able to part with him! -glomps Hiei- Me loves reviews! It does help guide me as to what questions need to be answered. But, no worries! I don't change my story line around for _anyone_. Hey, ya don't like it the way it is, I say, then don't read it, right? -grin- don't worry, I've put the wooden spoon away for now… but if you don't update by next month it comes out again! ^_^ Connections kick butt! I love reading and finally discovering, 'oh! Look, they're going to conspire together against the king, but he doesn't know that she…' blah blah blah, ya know? -pounds head on desk- damn slip-ups! Grrr! Don't worry, I don't take much personally. ^_^ yer not imposing, so dun think you are! I love yer questions, they really do help! As well as the questions from my other reviewers! Lol!!!! Me too! I love embarrassing parts! Oh, well, halfway between now and the end Hiei is put in a VERY embarrassing place. -snicker- oh geez, "What a girl wants" is sooo easy to figure out it's not even funny! I saw it in the theater with my dad and thought it was kinda corny and way too predictable. And like I said earlier, don't worry about this being a 'happily ever after story' because I hate them as well. If it was happily ever after, there wouldn't be a sequel, which also ends in tragedy! Okay, giving too much away here… happily ever after is NOT realistic and I really do hate it. Lol, rambling is GOOD! All good writers ramble. Geez, I do it aaaallll the time. I'm the rambling queen! ^_^ Kurama always brings up an interesting point… ^_^. Alright, the thing about Rose will be cleared up in later chapters. I've had to read A LOT to find out (basically to the end of the story) but I did find out where it is, which is in about six chapters. @_@ gaaa, I know! So much more! But there can't be more than a dozen left, I promise! Yay! You got a kitchen utensil! -does happy dance- now just find out what one! Spatula? Spagetti spoon? Ice cream scoop? Crap, that reminds me, I owe Hiei some sweet snow. Darn! I only have like two scoops left! Grr…

And the romance doesn't come for a bit longer. Please be patient. And I wont tell you! ^_^ thanks again!

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SilverKnight7: BlackFire/ the Black Blaze will make an appearance, well kinda, soon. Next chapter I think it is… oh, and the final battle isn't too far away either! Only two or three more chapters until then! Yay! Finals are done! Good fer you! Glad to hear it! Hope you did good on yer tests!  
  


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Miyako14: glad the chapter cleared some stuff up for you! Thanks again!  


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Teaser:

Thorn looked at him again and gave the quietest of chuckles. Her hand rose up and brushed away a stray lock of hair that had fallen into his eye, obscuring their brilliant emerald depths. She smiled again, but it wasn't her smile that made the kitsune want to shudder, and not just in fear, for sure. Her fingers were eerily gentle as they brushed against his skin. Kindness seemed to drive them, although he knew how deadly they could become with just a simple manipulation of her energy.

"If I didn't know any better, I could swear you were an innocent," she said quietly, her eyes deep and wondrous, flowing softly into his own. Kurama continued to look back at her stiffly.

"I could say the same," he replied. Thorn's fingers stopped stroking his long red hair and slowly retreated.

"Yes. Yes, you could," she said simply, quietly. Kurama stood there rigidly, as she turned away, her features tracing just a hint of sadness. 

J: alrighty then! Now, onto the disclaimer, which I seem to have forgotten the past few times. U_U. whoops. ^_^ alright guys, take it away!

All who were throwing random objects but for GenKai: J-san does not own us. She owns Thorn, BlackFire/the Black Blaze, and Rose only. Thank you for reviewing.

Kuwabara: man, these ropes are giving me a rash.

Gen Kai: suck it up you wuss.

J: Please review!

All who were throwing random objects: Git us outta here! Help! Ouch, yer stepping on my elbow!


	24. No Need for Sacrifice

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Warnings: None really..

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Four: No Need for Sacrifice 

Kurama looked around his modest room with sharp and calculating green eyes. He paused. There was something different. Yes, he had felt the same sensation the day Thorn had come to break the training deal. As though something was about to happen. This time, though, he would not ignore the feeling as he had then. His eyes fled to the window. Hiei was not in the tree, and hadn't been since morning when Kurama had woken and had left for school, but there _was_ some creature shifting within it. The window was closed, although not locked. He walked over to it, scanning the branches cautiously. There was a bird in it. A large bird with bright brownish-gold feathers. It looked to be a golden eagle. But it was just slightly bigger and he could easily tell it wasn't. It looked at him with shinning, green eyes. It was not a real eagle, he knew. It's eyes weren't the only aspect that gave it away, although it was the main one. The eyes of a golden eagle were brownish red, not a bright, haunting green. 

Kurama opened the window and took a step back as the eagle hopped onto the ledge. Its wings spread just slightly before closing as it settled on the ledge, revealing their large feathers and huge wingspan of about six or more feet, the shape changing into that of a young woman. 

Thorn looked up at him from under the two bronze strands of hair, as well as a few thick locks that fell around her cheeks. She jerked her head up, sending the straight tresses back into a glistening cloud of gold, pushing them behind her ears, two rebellious locks falling back in front of her face. She sat straighter on the window's sill, her arms on either side of her, resting on the sill's edge as she crossed her booted ankles, leaning forward just slightly as she looked at Kurama with an unreadable expression.

They didn't say anything, instead just looked into the other's green eyes. Kurama took a silent, deep breath through his keen nose. As he had thought, her blood smelled different. But he had not been close enough the last time he had seen her to get a clear scent. But it was there. She looked different as well. She was... taller? She must use her shape-shifting skills to change her size he reasoned as he looked her over in his peripheral vision, his eyes glued to her own.

"What are you thinking?" Thorn asked curiously. Kurama blinked.

"Nothing," he said, his tone deep and blank. The rims of her lips curled just slightly.

"I know that is not the case," she replied almost sweetly.

"What do you want?" he asked, changing the subject, his voice slightly demanding. It was her turn to deny an answer to his question.

"Nothing."

"That's not true," he said. Her eyes laughed for just a split second. A mocking laugh.

"We're going in circles," she said. She stood up slowly. She was just as tall as him now, and her eyes were looking into his, but not baringly so. The look was almost soft, he noticed. The Black Blaze on her back glowed slightly. Kurama's eyes strayed to it for just a second.

"You're afraid of him, aren't you, Kurama?" she asked, stepping closer. His eyes returned to hers.

"No," he replied flatly.

"Well, I beg to differ. Youko is afraid of him. At least, he was. Tell me, what do you think Kuronue would say if you told him that you were this close to such a creature?" she asked, the curl to her lips widening sadly. Kurama was forced to take a step back. His eyes grew wide.

"H-how did you know?" he asked. The image of running with Kuronue away from the sinister creature flashed before his eyes in a flickering scene, his old, deceased partner leaping by his side.

"I've seen it, Kurama, the Black Blaze has shone me his memories. Even the great Youko felt that fear. Now, you feel it as he did." She stepped closer again. "But this time, there is a chance you will die," she whispered quietly. Her eyes, her expression, the way she moved, suggested that she was about to slaughter him. Yet there was something else too, a grace that didn't so much as hint the deadly look on her face. It was almost flirtatious, appealing to the eye, as if she had never thought of taking a life in her entire span of living. Kurama froze as she raised her left hand, uncertain as to if move away from it's poisonous touch as it rose higher. But she did not reach for the pleadingly humming sword on her back as he had originally thought. Instead, her hand brushed against his right cheek, so light it was nothing more than a breeze sighing sweetly against the skin.

"But," she continued quietly. "I will not kill you. And I don't suggest you try to kill me either, Kurama. I came to warn you, actually. Don't try to kill me, or _he_ will kill _you_." Her eyes looked into his deeply, implanting the idea in his mind gently. He wanted to twist away from her touch, but it was so soft. A touch you wanted to lean into, one you never wanted to leave, you wanted it only to continue its soothing and comforting strokes.

"Who will kill me?" he asked, his voice recovering, breaking through the wall of shock in a quiet, almost whimpering tone. She leaned in closer and whispered in his ear.

"The Black Blaze spared you once. If you try to kill me, he will come back and take back the favor. And once I am unable to control him, he will rule both the human and the demon world with their fear of him, even if he does nothing wrong enough to make Koenma send his detectives after him. You will not survive a second encounter with him, Kurama. Lucky Kuronue isn't here, or you might have had to see him die again," she whispered. He knew by her tone that she was deadly serious.

"But how did he know we were there?"

"He knows many things. His power is unlimited. Not to mention, he could smell your fear, even over the stench of smoke and blood. He showed you his power. He wanted you to know just how easily he could kill. How much you were like the other demons. How effortless it would be to take your soul. He was insane then. He had no sheath to harness his bloody sword. Now he does. But if you destroy the sheath, the sword will again be bathed in blood. Perhaps even your blood." She looked at him seriously. "Do you understand, Kurama?" she asked.

"Yes, I understand," he answered gravely. She smiled and her hand fell to her side. 

"Good. Oh, and I also came to tell you something else." Her mood seemed to lighten. "If, by some miraculous fluke you four do defeat me, don't let Yusuke touch the Black Blaze." Kurama gave her a confused look, his brow furrowing in question. "I just have this feeling. Make Kuwabara take him instead. I might not like Yusuke, but that doesn't mean he should be sacrificed. But the chances are slim to none that it will happen. Just keep it in mind." Thorn looked at him again and gave the quietest of chuckles. Her hand rose up and brushed away a stray lock of hair that had fallen into his eye, obscuring their brilliant emerald depths. She smiled again, but it wasn't her smile that made the kitsune want to shudder, and not just in fear, for sure. Her fingers were eerily gentle as they brushed against his skin. Kindness seemed to drive them, although he knew how deadly they could become with just a simple manipulation of her energy.

"If I didn't know any better, I could swear you were an innocent," she said quietly, her eyes deep and wondrous, flowing softly into his own. Kurama continued to look back at her stiffly.

"I could say the same," he replied. Thorn's fingers stopped stroking his long red hair and slowly retreated.

"Yes. Yes, you could," she said simply, quietly. Kurama stood there rigidly, as she turned away, her features tracing just a hint of sadness. 

"When?" he asked. She turned her head to look back at him, the sun reflecting off the surface of her incandescent eyes.

"When what?"

"When will you come to inform us that you are ready to fight?" She looked out the window once again, and Kurama could not see her expression.

"I don't know yet. But it wont be long." She turned back to look at him mischievously and gave a half-smile. "Be patient. I will come to you. Just make sure you are ready when that time comes. And tell the others not to go off looking for me on their own. If they do I cannot guarantee that they will come back unharmed, or even in one piece," she said as she turned away from him.

Kurama watched in silence as her shape molded before him until a white eagle stood before him. Her bright green eyes glanced back at him, revealing a black scar between them, as the color blended into a brownish gold once again. She flapped her wings and landed on the window sill, where she turned her head a full ninety degrees to look at him once more. In a loud flutter of wings, she took off, leaving only a few feathers and a small screech in her wake as a farewell.

Kurama watched as Thorn left, out of his sight in just a few seconds as she ascended upward. His gaze turned downward, watching a large wing/flight feather drift slowly onto his carpet, catching a drop of sunlight and shinning a dull gold in it. He stood a moment without moving, just looking at it, watching it wink sleepily in the sunlight. He went over and picked it up, holding it gently and examining it. Its texture was soft as he ran his fingers over it lightly. Taking it, he walked over to his desk and sat down. 

He began to think.

*

Hiei made his way back toward Kurama's house slowly. He must have walked around the city two or three times throughout the day. Restless was an understatement for his inability to keep still. As soon as he awoke that morning, just as the sun began to paint far-away rooftops, he couldn't help but fidget where he sat. As first he thought it was because of lack of exercise, so he took a long run at the edge of the city. It calmed him considerably, but he still felt reluctant to sit still. Finally, three hours and two sword-cleanings later, he got up from his tree and walked back to the city. He took his time, taking in the sights without interest. After another lap of the city the sun was beginning to dip in the sky. Kurama would be home by now, even if he had stayed after school for some useless class, Hiei thought. So he began to make his way back toward the Minamino house.

Kurama's window, Hiei noticed, lay open, a sure sign that he had returned. His mother always closed it after the boy had left for school and before she left for work.

Hiei swiftly jumped into the tall tree beside the window, stopping only when he reached his personal branch, which lay even with the window's sill. His hand lay on the familiar bark as he knelt on a single knee. 

Pause. 

Rewind. 

He looked down at the wood. There were a dozen or so incises cut into the wood. They were deep, caused by powerful talons. He looked around him. There was a small, rich, mahogany-dyed feather. He went over and picked it up. A hawk perhaps? A falcon of some kind? No, the claw marks were much too large for either of those. He placed the feather on his open palm, where an abrupt, yet sighingly slow breeze snagged it from him. He could have grabbed it if he had been driven to, but watching it float away in its freedom seemed much more enjoyable.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked from the window. He had heard the soft foot-falls as the youkai had jumped up into the tree and had turned in his chair after placing Thorn's feather into a desk drawer so the slight wind did not blow it away. He watched as Hiei had observed the markings on the tree and picked up the feather. He saw a far-away look come to the demon's face as he watched the feather being gently pulled from his palm, like a mother prying loose an object from a child that did not know the danger it held, and placing it out of reached.

Hiei turned toward Kurama slowly, but it was not slowly enough to erase the look in his garnet eyes, although it disappeared a moment later. But Kurama had seen the sadness that had shadowed the valley in his eyes before it was covered in its usual, protective, fog.

"What?" Hiei asked, feeling slightly uneasy at the look on his friend's face. At first it was a blinking form of surprise before reverting back into its normal softness.

"Nothing," Kurama answered, turning away.

"Hn." Hiei returned his gaze to the sky, but the breeze that had taken the feather was long since gone, taking its prize with it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: End of this chappy! ^_^ I know ya'll probably dun like the point that I made it short, yet again, but it's all good!

Kuwabara: -whispers- hey, Urimeshi, why is she so happy-like? People are gunna get mad!

Yusuke: -whispers- she got her first flame.

Kuwabara: -confused- what the hell is a flame? Like, fire?

Kurama: no, it's more like criticism. 

Kuwabara: and she likes it because….?

Hiei: -shrug- we don't exactly know. 

J: Oi! Don't think I can't hear you boys and yer mutterings over there! 

All: -gulp-

J: ^_^ but that's okay! I forgive you!

Yusuke: that… I find creepy.

J: So many reviews! -twirls- let's answer them, then I'll tell everyone how the manga of YYH is _so_ much better than the anime! ^_^

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Reviews:

Midnightdream51(For chapter 4): ^_^ glad you reread and got some answers!  
  


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Miyako14: thank ye!  
  


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SilverKnight7: The final battle is… coming. Kinda. There's still about three or four chapters until the first half of the final battle!

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I hate Mary sues: ^_^ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MY FIRST FLAME! -huggles- it makes me feel _SO_ special! -ahem- okay, serious (kinda) now. I do realize that Thorn is a mary sue character. I realized this about four chapters into the story by reading another, of which had gotten a review saying that their charry was a mary-sue as well. ^_^ but I was already getting reviews, so I shrugged it away and said (literally aloud) 'To hell with it. I'll post it anyway. If they don't like it, too damn bad.' ^_^. But I, too, don't especially like Mary-Sues, but if the writing and plot is good, I'll read it anyway. ^_^. Call me weird. I'm sorry to hear that you don't like my story because of that fact… anyway, enjoy it if you can bare it! Although I do promise that she seems less 'Mary-Sue' like soon, like in about… err… five or six chapters! :X but I can't tell you more than that! If you continue to read my story, I honor your ability to stick it out and keep reading. ^_^ THANK YOU AGAIN!  


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Midnightdream51:

^_^' yes, now, what do you think of having TWO short chapters? -laughs nervously, thinking 'please don't hurt me'- ^_^ yup, 5 day weekend this time! And I have next Monday off for Regents! -growl- damn state tests. I have to go in on Monday at 12 to take my Math A. damn NY and their precious state tests! NY is the hardest state to graduate high school from and people wonder why! Because they make our state tests so freakin' hard! -pauses for breath- -crickets- err… perhaps I should stop ranting, hai? ^_^' hope yer brother's head knots (from pummeling him -think the big anime bumps the charry's get when their girlfriend or friend hits them: ex- keiko hitting Yusuke-) go away. Maybe you gave him a headache in exchange for getting sick! Don't you just hate it when the stories have good plots, but the author is not such a great writer! I feel so bad for those people, because they come up with the most brilliant ideas! -evil grin- HAI! A sequel! I'm nearly finished with it. Actually, I think I'm on the last few chapters. I still haven't decided if this will be a trilogy yet. Maybe. I only have a vague idea if it is. Yay for you! Now all you have to do is post that story! -hint hint- -wink- ^_^ oh? I'll take that into consideration when I write in the future! From end to beginning, eh? Wow, I would get so confused.. Lol. I _totally_ understand where yer coming from with the whole OOC thing! It's happened A LOT in this fic, and I've edited nearly every chapter because of OOCness. CONNECTIONS KICK! Empowered is a great word for it! For sure! Yay! -does happy dance- I'm gunna read the wolf story! And yeah, the title for this story is kinda like that, where you get the meaning of the title only at the end. X3 . Me no tell no more! And brainstorming as we speak is okay. ^_^ just as long as it's happening, right? Hai! Err… no I don't really know too much about Greek mythology, although I loved it when we talked about it in global. I find it very romantic as stories go. ^_^ lol. Hiei, I wish you would do that for me! Kurama always ends up doing it only AFTER I spoil it! Maybe I could bribe him to stop my slip-ups with sweet snow as well… -ponders- lol! Hot chocolate is GOOD! Especially for writers block! I like those AMP and other small cans of energy drinks! They really get the brain movin'! um, and yes, for the most part, my stories are ALL tragedies. ^_^ just not Hiei and chocolate. But for the most part, they all are. -shrug- I dunno. I like to make my readers cry! :D yes, a little bittersweetness. This one is bittersweet I guess you could say. But, I must say, I prefer angst. ^_^ lol about the needed excuse for rambling writers! Dun worry, as you can see, I do it all the time! Gaa! Yer already haunting me with all the suspense! I can't wait! Well, you didn't have to be _too_ pacient for this one. It's pretty much on time, if not early! I've noticed that I've upped my chapters from once a week to twice! 0.0 gaa, this thing'll be over in no time at all! The ice cream scooper! Err.. -random thought- -Hiei getting ahold of metal ones and bashing Kuwabara- damn, he needs to be alive for the fic. -Hiei getting ahold of plastic one, busting it up and using the sharp edges to cut people-. Err… ^_^. I just bought a LARGE tub yesterday, so I'm all good on the sweet snow for a while yet. And I have NO clue where the Hiei 3's sweet snow or is a chocoholic. -shrug- and the romance is well… kinda half-hearted on my part. I don't really like romance, but I don't think this story would make it without it. ^_^ and I LOVE huge reviews! Keep 'em comin'! thank ye! (yer rev. response took up a whole page! 0.0)  


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Tomboy: ^_^ thank ye! As I told Midnight, I've started to update twice a week! 0.0. Yay for me! ^_^ I know, blame it on most of the peeps who write Inuyasha fics, because they got me thinking about the teasers and such, which make my A/N nearly as long as my short chapters! 0.0. And cliffies DO come up soon! ^_^ just to warn you. So, teasers, AND cliffies. Damn, I'm evil! And the e-mail addy is no biggy, since I copy and paste from the review e-mail I get yer entire review so that I don't have to keep going back from word to AOhelL just to type it up. ^_^ but, here's fer you, just Tomboy! ^_^ thank ye again!  
  


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Teaser:

"Oh, Yusuke, your friends are here. They said they had to talk to you," Atsuko said, smiling up at her son before getting up from her chair groggily and swaying into another room. Yusuke grumbled and sat in her chair with a heavy 'pluff' in annoyance from the cushion.

"So what's up, guys?" he asked through a yawn, blinking at the sleep with heavy eyelids. Kurama looked at Hiei, who nodded without looking at him, staring at his cup and the rippling surface of its liquid once again.

"I found this when I woke up this morning," Kurama said, removing a paper from his pocket and handing it to the boy, who yawned again.

Yusuke took the paper and looked at it, then looked up at Kurama strangely.

"Yeah, Kurama. Its paper. What the hell is so important about a sheet of paper that you had to wake me up at nine in the morning on a _Saturday_ for?" he growled, waving it in front of the kitsune's face. Hiei gave a chuckle while Kurama sighed.

"Yusuke, flip the paper over," Kurama said.

"Baka," Hiei said with a small smile. 

++++++++

J: ^_^ me so evil! Anyway! I just wanted to tell everyone that if you _really_ want to understand YYH, get the manga! I bought the first volume and it really stretched the first five eps out so that you really understand what's happening! It's soooo cool! I love it! It is currently one of my most prized possessions! Alright, since this a/n has gone on long enough, Yusuke, you do the disclaimer.

Yusuke: me?! Why?

J: because yer a baka in the next chapter!

Yusuke: -grumbles- J does not own us. She owns The Black Blaze/BlackFire, Rose, and Thorn. Happy?

J: -nods- yes! Please review! I think I'm going to start requesting reviews sometime in the next few chapters. Like, probably only four or five, the norm that I get. ^_^ just because I LOVE reviews!


	25. Ready for Battle

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Warnings: nothing…

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Five: Ready for Battle

Kurama awoke a few mornings later, tired and uneasy. Hiei had been dreaming again the past few nights, although he denied it full-heartedly when confronted by the kitsune. Kurama, most nights, was woken by the murmurs, although they formed no words and made less sense then a puzzle with no pieces. He had thought about it frequently. Hiei had never done such a thing before. Why so sudden? It had something to do with what happened in America. He was sure of it. It might take some time, but he was determined to find out what was bothering his friend.

He got out of bed slowly, smoothing his tousled mane as he stood. He looked out his window. It was still dark. Although it was Saturday, he was still up before dawn, as he was every day. 

'Old habits die hard,' he said to himself at the thought, walking over to his dresser. He dressed quickly and brushed his long hair. He sighed and walked over to his desk. Questions still swarmed his mind, although he had answered a few. But the most illusive of answers were the ones that pertained to Hiei.

Suddenly, he froze, his hand resting on his chair's solid back. He caught his breath roughly as he looked down upon the surface of his wooden desk. Laying in the middle of his neat and clean desk lay a paper. 

__

Tomorrow. Dawn. 

~Thorn~ 

It was a simple message, signed by the artist who drew the complicated crest on the left hand side of the note. It told him she was ready for the battle. He picked it up gingerly, fingering its rough surface with gentle fingers. 

'Hm. As you wish,' he thought. He looked over to his window, which lay closed. 'How did she get in? And if she used the window, why didn't Hiei wake?' He walked over to the window and it disturbed him that it was shut firmly. He opened it and looked into the shadows of the tree beside it, where he knew Hiei lay as he grumbled softly in his black sleep. 

"Hiei," he whispered softly. Hiei jerked out of his sleep. That too was strange. He had always woken slowly from his sleep, opening his eyes cautiously as his hand would ready to make a dash toward his sword. His eyes flung themselves open, immediately scanning around him as he jumped to his feet before looking at Kurama.

"What?" he growled with a glare.

"Take a look at this," Kurama said, handing the youkai the paper. Hiei took it and looked at it silently. His eyes flashed with some emotion Kurama did not have time to place before the fire youkai looked back at him, the demeanor disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

"She gave this to you?" he asked, looking at him seriously. Kurama shook his head.

"No. I found it on my desk just a few moments ago. She must have come in during the night." Hiei gave him an incredulous look before turning back to the note in his hand. He took his left hand from his side and brushed the drawing with his fingers unconsciously.

"How is that possible?" Hiei asked, still looking at the card. The sword. It was there. Another 'map'. But why would she give them something to track her down with like that? It would be foolish.

"I don't know. But I was thinking. You remember how she got into the hotel room? She said she used 'magic'. Perhaps she used it here as well," Kurama said quietly. Hiei nodded.

"Perhaps." He handed the card back to the kitsune slowly. "We'll have to inform the others." It was Kurama's turn to nod as he agreed, taking the note back.

"Yes." Hiei looked off into the distance, placing his hands in his pockets and rubbing his own 'map' between his fingers. 

"We'll leave later today," Kurama continued, turning back into his room and replacing the paper on his desk for later use. Hiei didn't look back at him. He continued to look to the west, where the stars began to drift lazily toward the far-away horizon, relinquishing their reign over the land to the approaching sun. 

*

Later that day, at nearly nine o'clock, both Kurama and Hiei went to Yusuke's house. He had yet to wake, but his mother was home and let them in with a drunken smile.

"You guys want some coffee?" she asked, swaying into the kitchen. Kurama stood and guided her toward a chair in the living room.

"Please, let me," he said as he placed her in the chair.

"Oh, you're sso ssweet. Thanks," she said sleepily as the kitsune went back to the kitchen to prepare the drinks. He came back a moment later and placed them on the table before taking a seat beside Hiei. 

Hiei sat stiffly in his seat. He was trying desperately not to fidget. But now that the prospect he would be battling again had risen, he found it hard to contain his shifting. He took his coffee, staring at its rippling surface a moment before sipping it.

"Don't worry! Yusuke will be up soon!" Atsuko said loudly. Kurama heard a groan from the next room. "Botan said she was coming over later too! So it will be a ha-happy get-together!" The mutterings from the next room grew louder. "You know! This coffee is great!" There came an unrecognizable shout from Yusuke's room as there was a loud bang on the room's floor. 

"Well! Looks like Yusuke's up!" Atsuko said happily. A string of curses flowed into the room. "Watch your mouth, Yusuke!" The curses lessened, although they did not stop completely. Apparently, according to the thumps and growls, Yusuke had taken a nasty fall from his bed. 

Both Kurama and Hiei couldn't help but smirk. And when Yusuke tumbled out of his room, they could only suppress a smile. He was dressed in blue pajamas, his hair mussed in a cow-lick and his eyes were squinted in sleep, trying to keep the sun's glare from seeping into them until they could adjust.

"Oh, Yusuke, your friends are here. They said they had to talk to you," Atsuko said, smiling up at her son before getting up from her chair groggily and swaying into another room. Yusuke grumbled and sat in her chair with a heavy 'pluff' in annoyance from the cushion.

"So what's up, guys?" he asked through a yawn, blinking at the sleep with heavy eyelids. Kurama looked at Hiei, who nodded without looking at him, staring at his cup and the rippling surface of its liquid once again.

"I found this when I woke up this morning," Kurama said, removing a paper from his pocket and handing it to the boy, who yawned again.

Yusuke took the paper and looked at it, then looked up at Kurama strangely.

"Yeah, Kurama. Its paper. What the hell is so important about a sheet of paper that you had to wake me up at nine in the morning on a _Saturday_ for?" he growled, waving it in front of the kitsune's face. Hiei gave a chuckle while Kurama sighed.

"Yusuke, flip the paper over," Kurama said.

"Baka," Hiei said with a small smile. Yusuke looked blankly at him for a moment before turning the paper over. His eyes widened and his jaw fell open. Clearly, the sleep fuzz was gone from his mind as he stared.

"Oh," he said stupidly.

"We'll have to go tell Kuwabara," Kurama said. Yusuke looked at the message a moment longer before handing it back to him.

"I'll be out in five minutes," he said, turning and walking back into his room to get dressed. Both Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, both giving quiet, yet very amused chuckles as they finished off their coffee.

*

Kurama knocked quietly on door to Kuwabara's house. Shizuru answered a moment later, a burning cigarette in her hand.

"Hey you guys. I take it you're here to see my little brother?" They nodded. She took a drag of her cigarette. "Yeah, well come in. Ya know, I had the strangest dream last night. It was about that girl from the tournament. She said something about not letting Kazuma leave tomorrow or he'd die. Strange, huh?" she asked as they walked into the house. The trio looked at each other. 

'She must have warned Shizuru with her powers. But why wouldn't she want Kuwabara to come?' Hiei thought. He looked at Kurama, who's expression suggested that they leave. The two turned only to be stopped by a familiarly annoying voice.

"Hey guys! What are you doing here?" Kuwabara asked as he tumbled down the stairs.

"Hey, try to be a little quieter little brother. I have a headache," Shizuru said as she sat down on the couch, turning on the television.

"Hey Kuwabara," Yusuke said. He hadn't seen the looks that his companions had exchanged, obviously, instead watching his friend barrel down the stairs as the youkai glanced at each other. "We got our match." 

"Fool," Hiei muttered as Kurama sighed and they turned back around.

"Yeah?! When is it?" Kuwabara asked. His face was, for the most part, back to normal but for the small, yellowish green healing bruises that lay here and there. But his jaw was no longer swollen and were the swelling had occurred lay the largest of the dispersing bruises. 

"Dawn," Yusuke groaned. Kurama handed the other boy the slip of paper. He looked over it for a moment before handing it back.

"It doesn't say where though. How will we know?" Kuwabara asked. Yusuke looked at Kurama, who shrugged.

"She'll probably draw us to her. I wouldn't worry about that," Hiei supplied, not looking at them. The all looked down at him. Kuwabara opened his mouth to say something, but Kurama beat him from the punch.

"Yes, I agree. She's done it in the past. No doubt she'll use it again," the kitsune said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kuwabara said. Shizuru glanced at them from over the couch, but she didn't say anything. Hiei saw her, and wondered if Thorn really had contacted her in her dreams to tell her not to let her brother fight.

'Hn. Its not my problem,' he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: ^_^ okay. I know ya'll gunna KILL me for leaving such a question mark at the end. 

Yusuke: _I'm _gunna kill you!

J: -innocent eyes- why?

Yusuke: I'm NOT a baka! 

J:-shrug- I didn't say it! Blame it on Hiei, not me.

Kuwabara: -looks around- yeah, hey, where is the shrimp?

J: ^_^ I sent him and Kurama out to get me some food. Studying makes me hungry, so there's like no food in my house. (not that I study, its just an excuse to settle my high-metabolism's cravings ^_^')

Yusuke: -grumbles- I'll get him later.

J: suuuure you will. ^_^ well, here are reviews! Yay!

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Reviews:

miyako14: ^_^ thank you! I can't wait to get the second manga! It's going to be cool! Its so different then the anime, at least, so far. Here's yer update!  
  


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SilverKnight7: they are both great! ^_^ here's yer update! The fighting scene is soon, promise!  


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Squeakers: Squeakers! You were missed! Lol. ^_^ I'm glad everyone's liking the story's complexity! I just hope I tie up all the loose ends at the very end, is all. ^_^ yeah, it took me a while to figure out just where I was going with this story. I had the beginning and the end planned out, and I needed LOTS of twists and secrets and the revealing of secrets for it to work out! -grin- and Kuwabaka's butt was sorely kicked! Hehe. Thank you!  


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Midnightdream51: oi, n/p about reviewing sooner, it's no biggy! And yes, I DO have a lot of free time. I don't study enough. Heehee. ^_^ oh, an NY friend? Yeah, we don't have a lot of time because of the monstrous amounts of HW they give us to prep us for the regents. It's not easy to graduate from NY's high schools, even a lower-class one like my own! I must say that I'm not doing as well as I could though. Hehe, dun tell anyone! ^_^ mama dun know that! Lol. Yeah, math is done with, so I've just gotta start preppin' for Bio and err… Global! Duh! Hehe, forgot for a minute there. I didn't think I was doing very well in math either, but a I got a progress report today, and even though my test average was like 62 and my quiz average 70 something, I have an 83! Whoot! It pays to do homework! Lol. Thanks for the luck! It hadn't been too late, and I sure used it! The test was easy, but since I'm so bad at math, it didn't really count. ^_^' and I got yer wolf story! You should continue it! It's really good! Thanks again!   
  
  
**Hiei's1girl:** wow! You reviewed a bunch! Thank ye! ^_^ yes, fighting scenes are sweet. Mine are just okay. I really need to work on more details. And, erm, for the Thorn liking Hiei and/or Kurama, you'll find out soon enough! ^_^ me so evil! Anyway, you'll discover the answer… err… well, part of it, next chapter. And if not then, then in about three or so chapters. ^_^.  


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baka-chibi-puffs: ^_^ its okay for not reviewing the last chapter. I do realize people, unlike myself, do have outside lives and can't be expected to review EVERY chapter. ^_^ damn, that sucks! I would DIE without anime, tv, computer for three months. Well, I'd just have to rely on my mangas to keep me sane. Seriously, that would be the ONLY thing that would keep me sane. Yay to grandmothers! ^_^. Yay! Ten minutes is better than nothing. 0.0' err… -scuffs foot- yeah, I know they're short. There's a major short one coming up later this week too, if I get off my lazy ass and edit it. ^_^ yeah, its like that because I'm updating 2x a week. ^_^ glad you like it!  
  
J: -mushroom cloud- whew! That was a mouthful! Anyway, teasers away!

**__**

Teaser:

"You bastard," Hiei snarled, drawing his sword. BlackFire looked at it and then at him, laughing mockingly.

'_You_ would kill _me_? The Forbidden One killing the Black Blaze? Please, spare me the irony,' he said sarcastically.

++++++++++++

J: eek! -gets pelted with random food- hmm, cheese cake! -licks fingers-

Kuwabara: you were right, they _are_ gunna kill ya.

J: -glare- oh shut up. 

*door opens*

Kurama: J-san, we're back!

Hiei: hmm… -is currently inhaling a 5 gallon jug of sweet snow-

J: -snatches sweet snow away- Oi! That was for later! I need _something_ to bribe you with! And I'm all out of chocolate!

Hiei: -licking fingers- -pout- damn.

J: besides, I need something that'll keep you from killing someone, or even myself, next chapter.

Hiei: -glares suspiciously- why?

J: well that's all this time! Next chapter is mad short, but it's a goodie!

Hiei: why?

J: please review! I'm going to ask for 6 reviews this chapter (that's my average anyway) because next chapter is such a doozie!

Hiei: WHY?!

J: err… did you say something Hiei?

All: -anime fall-

J: ^_^


	26. Meeting BlackFire

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Warnings: Hiei swears. ^_^ like that's abnormal. Heehee. 

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Six: Meeting BlackFire

The night was dark. And cold. Empty. There was no moon that night and the stars barely had the energy to peek from their slumber in the azure abyss. Many didn't. Hiei looked up through the tree's branches. Only seven or so hours left. He should sleep. But he only managed a doze. The night gave him a sharp reminder of nights in the demon world and he slept as such. With his hand on his katana. But there was something that vibrated in the air that made him on edge. Something that reminded him of his days before pairing up with Gouki and Kurama. Before stealing the three artifacts. When blood constantly scented the air. But that was all in the past insisted his drunken mind as it yawned into sleep.

'Wake up, Hiei,' came a forceful, yet wise, voice in his mind. It reminded him of Kurama's voice, echoing wisdom and knowledge. But Kurama did not speak through the mind. He had no psychic powers. Hiei opened his eyes. 

'Who are you?' he asked with a threat to his voice, looking around, trying to place where the incursion had come from.

'Down here,' came a growl. Hiei looked down. There was something at the base of the tree, looking around the tree's trunk, its sharp ears pricked at some shadow in the distance.

'I asked you a question,' he said. A dog with psychic powers? A demon no doubt. The lean black canine did not look at him. Its jaws opened in a grin. It did not answer. Hiei growled and leapt down from the tree, drawing just enough of his sword for its blade to show, glinting dangerously in warning as the wan starlight meekly radiated off it's surface. He landed behind the canine, growling fiercely.

"Answer me!" he said aloud in a deadly soft tone. The creature turned toward him, his eyes closed as it chuckled in his mind. A clouded white figure was set between its eyes. Its glistening fangs shone dully by a far-away streetlight. It faced him fully. It open its eyes and laughed.

'Do you really need to ask?' he asked, a smirk lacing the undertones of his voice. Hiei took a step back and took a quick breath. The eyes. They were a glowing, icy blue, their middles holding a sliver of black, suggesting the wall between insanity and sanity was a thin one.

"You!" he managed to whisper hoarsely, his eyes wide in shock. Another chuckle escaped its shaggy throat. Its coat was black and glossy, the hidden marking between its eyes brightening as it raised its eyes to meet his own, shinning a startling ivory. The face was familiar. 'I must be dreaming again,' he thought. 

'You are not dreaming. I was there the first time in the arena when you tried to pry into Thorn's mind. I was there when you dreamed,' came the reply from the wolf, its crazed eyes baring into his own, surprised, ruby ones, its lips pulling farther from its fangs. Hiei recovered from his shock, wiping away the expression it had forced upon his features to replace it with a stoic scowl.

"Who are you?" he asked fiercely.

'I am the Slave to the Sword, Hiei. I am the Binded One,' came the cool and calm response.

"Stop avoiding the question. Tell me who you are!" Hiei hissed, redrawing part of his katana. This must have been the force that he had felt. The one that had put him so on edge. The one that drew what he suddenly realized as blood that he could smell. The wolf smirked.

'I am the Black Blaze.'

Hiei gave a gasp, although it was hardly audible. He shook his head.

"No. Is that why you were there, in her head? Guarding her?" he asked, looking down into the wolf's icy eyes. They reminded him of twin pools of sapphire poison, baring into his mind, virulent to his brain.

'Yes. I never leave her unguarded. With the exception of that time at the hotel and the nights she is free,' the Black Blaze said.

"Why were you in my head when I dreamed?" he asked. The wolf chuckled.

'Actually, you were awake when you saw me. But you dreamed because I was in your mind, going through your memories. My Mistress, of whom you call Thorn, knew much about you already, but I gained the details of your life then. I must say, it was a very lonely life you led, wasn't it?' He laughed in utter sadism. 

"You bastard," Hiei snarled, drawing his sword fully, its point stark against the light, pointing in warning at the wolf's head. BlackFire looked at it and then at him with a look of superiority, laughing mockingly.

'You would kill me? The Forbidden One killing the Black Blaze? Please, spare me the irony,' he said sarcastically. 'If you kill me, as if you would, then you kill Thorn. And I know you would not want that.' He laughed again before stopping suddenly. His expression seemed to change as it seemed he had realized why he had come in the first place, his tone and subject changing abruptly. 'Hiei, do you know why you now murmur in your sleep? Why you have questions that hold no words?' His grin grew wider.

"How did you know that?" Hiei asked, his katana held at ready.

'Its something you've never felt before, isn't it? No need to answer. I know that you never have. Your life has been full of hate and anger and loneliness. But, that night at Mistress' home, when you watched the storm with her. When she tended your wound outside of Los Vegas. A few days ago, when you asked her all those questions, as well as all those other countless times, you felt something else. Do you know what that was?' he asked. Hiei bared his fangs.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he hissed quietly. "I feel nothing. I felt nothing." BlackFire snorted, but he continued to grin. 

"Tell me what you want," Hiei demanded. At this, the Black Blaze seemed to grim, his voice becoming a dark and sinister growl.

'I wanted to tell you to ignore those feelings. She is different than you or the rest. She is better than that. I do not what you getting involved with her. Thorn is not one to be loved.' He turned away, leaving Hiei in a confused daze. His snarl retreated and his sword drooped slightly as he straightened a little in confusion. His jaws released themselves from their clenching as his eyes grew wider.

'Love?' he thought. He blinked stupidly, and when he looked again, the wolf was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: -cringes- please don't hurt me! Ya'll said ya liked twists!

Hiei: maybe they do! But I don't! -reaches for katana- huh?

Yukina: -walks into room- ^_^ J-san, I took Hiei-san's katana and hid it, just as you said!

J: whew! Good job Yukina. 

Hiei: -glares angrily at J- wench.

J: watch yer mouth! -uses magic wooden spoon to subdue him- you know, I should get you a necklace like Kegome has for Inuyasha. Keep you in check!

Hiei: -growls-

Yusuke and Kuwabara: -snicker-

J: -glare- watch it you two! 

Yusuke and Kuwabara: -duck heads-

Kurama: perhaps this can be remedied with some sweet snow? ^_^

J: oh yeah! I forgot about that! -grabs tub from fridge, empties a bottle of chocolate syrup on it- here ya go Hiei-kun! ^_^

Hiei: -begins to inhale-

J: o.o' err… I'm going to need more ice cream…

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Reviews:

SilverKnight7: updated! ^_^ enjoy!  
  


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baka-chibi-puffs: lol. ^_^ I don't know who threw yer cheesecake. -whispers- I bet it was Kurama, because he knows I LOVE it. -snicker- aww! That REALLY sucks that yer banned from everything like that. Heehee. Yes, of course! _studying_. -chuckle- of course! No TV, no fanfiction or such present, yer _studying_. Hehe. Aw man! No mangas?! Geez, what hell! Well, at least you can get off it early, right? Have fun with the little kids ^_^. Cheese to the pie! (don't ask where that came from)

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miyako14: ^_^ yay! Third manga in March! Waaahooot! Thankies for reviewing (as usual, my ever-faithful reviewer!)  


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Midnightdream51: I've had to downsize my response size, its bigger than my chapter! The last couple responses to you, its been more 'n a page! Yes, too long. YAY! More action! Yer gunna hate me because of this chappy, huh? -ducks head- dun hurt me! And Hiei's dreams… erm… damn, I forgit why I put 'em in there. I think it was my symbolizes muse acting up. He's never dreamed before, right? So, this unsettle dreaming thing means he's changing! Not necessarily for the better, but changing. ^_^ and the swimming thing, like I said before, was discarded later because it didn't work out for the fighting scene (which, might I add, comes next week in the next chapter!). I already told you about why he was staring at his cup. He was brooding. But originally he was staring at his cup because he was thinking about those times at Thorn's house with the coffee and everything. Remember, Atsuko, for talking so damn loud, woke Yusuke up. ^_^ and falling out of bed didn't exactly help either. Lol. And yer wolf story is GOOD! Its saved on my desktop, waiting for its ending! ^_^ lol. It died, did it? Heehee. No problem with the advice! ^_^ I love to help! Thank ye for the good luck! (don't ask how Hiei can eat like that, I don't exactly understand it myself.)  
  


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Loki Black: yay! I've been BOOKMARKED! -does happy dance- sorry if it seems too dragged out, but I HATE rushing things. I mean, if you read it from beginning to end without stopping (as I have done countless times. Gaa.. No sleep!) it seems really rushed, so I've put stuff in there so that if someone new desides to read it straight through, then it wont seem so bad in that department. Thank you for reading and reviewing! ^_^  
  
J: I know you all hate me for theses, but here it goes! Teaser time!

**__**

Teaser:

"How dare you!" she hissed. Her eyes became glowing slits. "Fine. If you wish to play in such a way, you may choose your death. I was going to make it quick. But I will let the Black Blaze take it from here." Hiei noticed … her hands slowly rising. The medallion at her throat began to glow a fierce azure in the shadows, its eyes glowing as hers did, its hue the only difference, as well as the lack of pupil on the crest. Now that he came to see, the dragon that had reared upon her wall, as well as the one in Koenma's book, was the same one that snarled at her throat, its bright eyes, its shinning black texture of colored iron, as well as the scar that lay between the cunning eyes. His eyes widened.

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J: my daily dose of evilness! ^_^ please review!

All: -watching Hiei engulf the 5 quarts of sweet snow- -are disturbed-

J: err…. Yeah. Anyway, they'll be more sweet snow in store, no doubt! ^_^ review request: 7! The next chapter is REALLY intense… 


	27. Begin the Battle

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Warnings: fight, fight, FIGHT! 

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Begin the Battle

"What's the matter with Hiei, Kurama?" Yusuke asked quietly. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, although dawn was still nearly an hour away. They had planned to be up early to search for Thorn, grouping together fifteen minutes before. Kurama still remembered the hesitating glances from Shizuru as they picked Kuwabara up. By the looks she had given them, she had received another dream from Thorn.

The kitsune looked behind him at the youkai, who was walking slowly with his hands in his pockets. He seemed in a daze and it was clear he had hardly slept the night before. His eyes had a far-away gloss to their cherry depths. He had hardly spoken since Kurama had awoken, telling him only to take the message Thorn had left with them.

"I don't know. I've never seen him like this before."

"Well just as long as it doesn't interfere with his fighting it can wait," Yusuke said, quickening his step to come even with Kuwabara. Kurama looked back and shortened his stride, falling even with the black-clad fire youkai. Hiei offered no indication that he had registered the move.

Hiei had not slept after his encounter with the Black Blaze the night before. Well, actually, it had been about three in the morning when the wolf had appeared, so technically he had not slept in the remainder of the early morning. His thoughts were boggled, a whirlwind of questions and feelings that refused to settle into place so that he might decipher them.

Love? What had BlackFire meant by that? And if he were to die, Thorn would as well? What did that mean? Perhaps it would be because without his influence, Rose would return. But why didn't he kill Hiei while he was sleeping to keep him from killing either of them? Surely he had the power to do so, as well as the time. But he woke him instead to rely a message that he did not understand. And how could he emerge like that? Without Thorn containing him? He seemed free to do as he wished at the time. But why? And how? How indecipherable. He couldn't understand it.

Kurama stopped suddenly, his hands in his pockets. Realizing that the kitsune wasn't following, Yusuke stopped and turned around. Kuwabara followed suit and Hiei ended up nearly running into the two.

"Watch what you're doing," he growled, following their gazes back toward Kurama, who was pulling something out of his pocket.

"What is it, Kurama?" Yusuke asked. Kurama looked down at the paper he had taken from his pocket. It glowed, energy coming from it. Hiei watched, silent. He knew what was occurring. She was calling them.

"There's a sword here," he said in a questioning tone. Yusuke gave him a confused look and stepped forward, looking over his shoulder.

"What dayya mean?" Kuwabara asked, stepping forward as well and peering at the parchment.

"Hey yeah, that wasn't there before," the carrot-top said as he looked at it.

"Its pulling me this way," Kurama said, walking to his right, crossing the empty street. Hiei seemed to brighten at this and followed the other three willingly. They walked for a half hour before they came to the edge of a sparse wood. They hesitated at its edge, looking at each other. They nodded in determination.

"Let's go," Yusuke said seriously as they took a step into the forest. It took them another ten minutes to pinpoint the location, but when they did they held their breath as they listened to the faint morning sounds around them. They didn't see Thorn anywhere.

"Ya sure its here?" Kuwabara asked, looking around with a careful eye. Kurama looked at the paper again. 

"Yes. Its not pulling me anywhere," he answered as he looked down on it. The sword. It was the Black Blaze. That might not be a good sign. He looked up.

"Do you feel anything, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara seemed to think for a moment, glancing around him with more urgency.

"Yeah. Yeah! She's here alright. But I can't tell where," he said. They all looked around cautiously. Hiei's eyes darted around the large clearing they were now situated in. Apparently, she felt they would need space. It was as large as the Tournament arena, with wavy grass that grew to their ankles. Trees lined its edge, as if planted by some perfectionist god who wanted them to grow in a perfect circle. The ground was flat and free of rocks, the sun beginning to lighten the watery black that dusted the clearing as it rose.

"Come on out, Thorn!" Yusuke called. He was answered with the double-thumps of soft, booted feet landing. They all jerked their heads to their left. 

The short girl emerged from the shadows, her face deadly serious and expressionless. Her long, purposeful stride brought her into their view quickly, the absence of trees bringing light to her features, although the shadows on her face only seemed to deepen. But what deepened the shadows around her bright, glowing green eyes to a higher degree than the tree's umbrage was the sword on her back, which glowed cheerfully under her no-nonsense braid. Hiei narrowed his eyes. The Black Blaze. She looked at them from their left, making her way carefully into the clearing's center.

"Thorn. You should stop this," Kurama said coaxingly. She glared at him, then closed her eyes, but did not humor them with her usual, amused smirk or even a change of expression. All was silent as she stopped in front of them, her face hard and her body cloaked in shadows. The sun was approaching from the boy's right, her left, but it was still a far-cry from dawn.

"Come with us and we'll take you to see Koenma," Kurama continued when she said nothing. Silence.

"Hey! Are you listening?" Yusuke demanded, his right hand forming a fist. 

"Yusuke, stay calm. We should try to reason with her first," Hiei said, unconscious of his own actions, yet knowing that was what Kurama was trying to do. In vain. Yusuke turned to look at him, noticing the gloss in his eyes as he spoke and wondering about it.

"Thorn. Please, listen to me," Kurama began. Yusuke turned back in time to see the girl's eyes bolt open, their unnatural glow startling them all. "L-let us take you to Spirit World."

"You should know better, Kurama." Her eyes bore into his own intimidating. "I refuse your offer," she said darkly, making them all shudder.

"Then you give us no choice," the kitsune said. "We must to take you by force." She growled slightly.

"As you wish," she said quietly. Kuwabara stepped forward.

"I'm goin' first you guys! I have a score to settle here!" Kuwabara said, looking at the girl. She glared at him with her intense eyes. She shrugged.

"If it pleases you. Your sister should have taken my advice and kept you at home. But it seems she does not believe everything she dreams. Although she should start," the girl said. 

'If I remember correctly, Shizuru had said that her dream had warned her not to let Kuwabara come. That he would be...' Kurama took a sharp breath and his eyes widened. 'She's going to kill him!'

"Kuwabara! Don't be an idiot! You can't take her on by yourself!" Yusuke growled at his school and teammate.

"Shut-up, Urimeshi! This time I wont hold back." Kuwabara said first addressing Yusuke, and then Thorn, walking toward her. Her usual smirk did not grace her face. She seemed to grim at the prospect but spoke, none the less, in her dark tones.

"Unfortunately for you, neither will I." Kuwabara ground his teeth and formed his Spirit Sword in his right hand. He rushed forward determinedly, sword held at ready. Yusuke clenched a fist and opened his mouth to retort, but was held back as Kurama spoke.

"Let him fight. It will give us a chance to study her skills, Yusuke. It was unavoidable." Yusuke growled and stood down, settling to watch the battle.

Thorn disappeared as Kuwabara swung his sword, her shape reforming behind him, seeming to seep up above the ground in a black blob before taking on definition. He looked around and upon finding her, turned and swung again. The act was repeated.

"Hey! Cut it out! Stand and fight!" Kuwabara yelled after the fourth attempt to strike her. He turned around once again to see her standing there placidly. She did not move as he turned.

"As you wish, Kuwabara. I respect the last requests of the Living Dead," she said. He growled and charged in impudently once more. He jumped up, bringing his sword down heavily. She didn't even blink. Suddenly, his attack was brought to an abrupt halt. They all gasped. Thorn's right hand flew upward, catching his attack as he landed. Her hand lay clasped around the shimmering Spirit Sword, clothed in a thick black glove that seemed to resist the sword's power to slice through its tough hide. Kuwabara ground his teeth and tried to force his sword down harder. When it did not work he tried to pull it away. Her strength held it and he felt like she was pulling it toward her, extracting it from his hand. But the sword's shape remained the same. He tried to call back his energy, but as he did it seemed only to extract more from him.

"Hey! Give it back!" he growled, panting for breath and trying desperately to wrench his energy from her grasp. Her face was blank as she looked at him, consuming his energy.

"A shame you would end this way. Now Koenma can finally accuse me of stealing something," she said as he weakened. 

"What is she doing to him?" Yusuke asked Kurama uncertainly.

"She is... stealing all of his Spirit Energy," he said, his eyes wide.

"But... if she does that then she'll take his life energy and he'll..." Yusuke paused, realization striking him dumb.

"Yes. He will die unless she stops soon," Kurama said quietly. Hiei was silent as he watched.

With a flick of her wrist, Thorn sent Kuwabara crashing through a tree behind him, his body stopping only when he came against a thick oak tree. (Do they have oaks in Japan?). He groaned and fell to the ground just as Shizuru burst into the clearing, his mind flooding into darkness before he could even catch a glimpse of his sisier.

"Go to him. I have taken nearly enough. But I despise killing when one who loves them is watching. Unless I kill them as well. But you hold nothing I desire. It would be a waste of life. Go, before I change my mind and kill him," Thorn said to the older girl, who stood in chock. The boys all watched as Shizuru clenched her jaw and ran to her younger brother. She knelt beside his unconscious body before turning toward the other girl.

"Bitch," she snarled. Thorn remained expressionless as she turned away.

"He will live. This time." She looked at the boys before her. Yusuke seethed in enmity. "Be thankful for the smallest of favors I hand to you."

"Yusuke, we should work together to get her," Kurama said, looking at him as the boy took another step forward. Yusuke fist clenched tighter, but he nodded.

"I would say now to give up, but I know you will not stop until we are dead or unable to fight. I just want to warn you though, that I have both Kuwabara's as well as the Black Blaze's spirit energy, as well as my own. You will not succeed in your mission," she said in her blank, melodious, voice.

"We will see," Kurama said. Yusuke bolted forward, his speed blinding. He was a distraction. 

"Rose Whip!" Kurama called, his vine snaking its way toward the girl as he transformed the rose that lay hidden under this thick red locks. She dodged and Yusuke flew in toward her, his hand reaching for the sword that lay on her back. She growled and turned toward him with bared teeth. She grabbed his wrist roughly, twisting it uncomfortably.

"Never touch him, Yusuke. He is set upon killing you and to touch him will only give him the chance he desires," she said in a fierce growl. He twisted away, his hand in his trade-mark 'Spirit Gun' position as his index finger began to glow a bluish tint. 

"Shut up," he spat as he leaped away.

Kurama lashed out once more with his whip, gaining her attention as Yusuke powered-up for his shot. She glared at him, but was not quick enough to spring away. She pulled her arms up in a block, yet did not succeed entirely. The vine slashed at her revealed stomach, drawing a thin line of blood. Kurama's eyes widened.

'That was a direct hit, she should be bleeding freely now, but from the wound's size, it looks as if I only scratched her,' Kurama thought in confusion. 

"You have tarnished the thickest armor known to any creature with that whip. A dragon's armor cannot be pierced, yet you have done it," Thorn said, lowering her arms as she ran her fingers across the mark, soiling them with blood. "It seems I underestimated you for that."

"Shut-up! I'm still here too!" came Yusuke's voice from above her. She looked up, but did not seem surprised to see him aiming down at her from the sky, the sun's distant rays barely touching him. 

"Spirit Gun!" he cried as his energy erupted from his fingertip down upon her. She hardened her jaw and brought her hands up in a blocking stance.

"Shield of Hunger!" she cried as a black wall surrounded her fingers and spread to guard her entire front. Yusuke's Spirit Gun blast seemed to be absorbed, yet it pushed her down into a straining holding position, as if she was trying to hold up some unbearable weight. With a tremendous heave, she threw the shield at a tree to her right. Away from both Hiei and Kurama, they noticed, as well at Shizuru and Kuwabara, who lay behind her. She fell to a knee, panting, as if the weight had been a real one.

"What?!" Yusuke gasped as he landed before her.

'The shield _ate_ Yusuke's attack,' Kurama thought. 'I never seen anything like it before.'

"That was heavy, Yusuke. I do not like that," Thorn said, looking at him with her glowing eyes. She stood up, panting.

"Too damn bad," Yusuke said, rising his hand once more into the Spirit Gun position. Thorn's eyes darted to her left, at Kurama's incoming whip. With a quick back flip she dodged, although she was not so lucky with his second attack. It lashed out at her shoulder, biting into her flesh, although this time no blood was spilled. She stopped after being struck, her hand straying to the pain. Yet she had no time to rest as Yusuke shot a second bullet of Spirit Energy. This turn she did not have time to create the shield that she had used before and instead engulfed herself in her own bright blue energy, the sphere's edge rippling serpentine rivers of black. Her hands formed the thickest part of the orb as the shot struck it, and her hands flung it upwards into the sky. She retreated the rest of the orb back into her body with a growl, although it was much less than it had been before. She panted before Yusuke, staring at him menacingly. 

"I did not like that either, Yusuke. It was almost painful," she said, staring at him boldly.

"I'm going to kill you for what you did to Kuwabara!" he yelled at her brazenly. She didn't even give a humored smirk.

"Ha. I'd like to see you try. I really would."

"You will."

"Yusuke! Use your Spirit Wave!" Kurama yelled, his Rose Whip flying towards Thorn. She held up her arms in defense, but it seemed that was what Kurama had wanted. His whip wrapped itself around her wrists, paralyzing them in living cuffs. She looked at them, then at Kurama, fighting him. She turned to Yusuke, who was completing the Spirit Wave attack. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled back, baring her teeth in threat as she turned back to Kurama.

"How dare you!" she hissed. Her eyes became glowing slits. "Fine. If you wish to play in such a way, you may choose your death. I was going to make it quick. But I will let the Black Blaze take it from here." Hiei noticed, standing on the sidelines, watching the battle, waiting for his turn, her hands slowly rising. The medallion at her throat began to glow a fierce azure in the shadows, its eyes glowing as hers did, its hue the only difference, as well as the lack of pupil on the crest. Now that he came to see, the dragon that had reared upon her wall, as well as the one in Koenma's book, was the same one that snarled at her throat, its bright eyes, its shinning black texture of colored iron, as well as the scar that lay between the cunning eyes. His eyes widened.

"Kurama!" he called too late. Her fingers grasped it against her palm. With a quick twist of her flexible body, she released it from over her head, making her braid smack against her right shoulder as she tossed it aside. Consequently by Hiei's feet.

"Its too late, Hiei. It is too late..." she whispered, the latter statement able to be confused with speaking to the youkai or herself. She closed her eyes and mumbled something none could understand.

"Do not kill them," her words were barely heard by her own ears, but the happily snapping jaws in her mind heard them. The Black Blaze heard them.

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Authoress' Note: tada! Here ya'll go! ^_^ cliffy cliffy! Yay! There's only about four more chapters left! Whoot! And the asking for the review thing, I know, is getting old. ^_^ I was just curious to see if it really worked. It, I noticed, didn't. ^_^ no biggy! Anyway, onward!

Yusuke: you are WAY too chipper for not getting what you want.

J: oh shush!

Kuwabara: its true, ya know. -stupid grin- she's normally totally ticked when she doesn't get what she wants and-

WHAM!

J: -twitch- sorry, I seemed to have misheard you, Kuwabara. You did just say that I am a very kind author to let you LIVE! Especially since you have no part in the rest of my stories really.

Kuwabara: @_@ gaa… look at all the pretty fireworks!

Kurama: -smiles-

Hiei: -smirk- baka. 

  
J: yes, well onto more pressing matters. REVIEWS! Whoopy! 

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Reviews:

SilverKnight7: thanks! ^_^ here's not only yer update, but an even bigger twist!

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Miyako14: yeah! Twists! Hold on tight, this roller coaster is about to turn once again! Thanks for reviewing!  
  


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Hiei's1girl: two more reviews! Yay! Its okay. ^_^ but reviewing gets rewards, while lack of does not! Lol. :D thank ye!  


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Hiei's1girl: here's t' yer second review! Yes, evil teaser. ^_^ me evil. Yes! Hiei will love you forever! -hides sweet snow- now, hopefully he wont be able to sniff it out. Lol. Thank ye yet again!  


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baka-chibi-puffs: yay! Freedome for B-C-P! hope yer party's kickin'! so short because it was supposed to be one chapter, this one and the next, and that was the best stopping point I could find. ^_^' be kind.   


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Midnightdream51: ^_^ yes yes, short, but interesting! And there's the wolf! I can't help it, they're my second favorite animal! And he did catch Hiei off guard. Left him flabbergasted, that he did! ^_^x lol, and soon comes the mushy-feely stuff. Patients is a virtue! Wow, you really look into the teaser! ^_^ but not quite. I can't say anything else or I'll end up spoiling the next chapter! Lol. Yes, BlackFire is just _soo_ polite and courteous. And, err, the BlackFire being upset comes soon. Like, in three or so chapters. ^_^ near the end. But I will say that in the sequel there is a lot about his power over her revealed. So you'll just have to wait. ^_^ but more secrets are revealed soon. And the Thorn/Rose relationship does get cleared up. And if it doesn't get cleared up enough, then I'll use a chapter as an authoress' notes thing and explain it. It's really confusing, so I don't expect everyone to just _know_. But more will be revealed soon. If yer questions aren't answered before the end of the story, post 'em in a review and I'll make a big post just for answering questions. Lol. Yes, I did like yer wolf story. You really should try to finish it. As well as 'Touched by an Angel' -hint- -hint- lol. ^_^

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Midnightdream51: yay, the last review! Lol. Givin' me a hard time, eh? Lol. -hides- here's yer chapter! Up today, like I promised! Eep!  


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Teaser: 

The dragon growled as the attack hit him square between the shoulders. He shook himself before looking over at Yusuke. 

"That boy should be proud. He made my Mistress scream in pain. She never feels pain," he said with a sneer. Kurama gapped at him.

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked, looking up from the crumpled body before him. The dragon's sneer grew.

"I feel no pain as long as she lives, Hiei. Which is why I plan to keep her around for a while. When I am in this shape, she cannot control me, yet I have total control over this body. When pain is meant for my body, it is transferred to her and Rose. I feel no pain. That is why I am unstoppable," he said with a sadistic laugh…

* * *

J: -ducks head- don't throw anything at me!

Hiei: -throws an apple- what the -BLEEP- is wrong with you?!

J: oi! That apple was fer my lunch, dammit! 

Yusuke: -glare- what did you do to me in the next chapter?!

Kuwabara: and why am I like, dead?!

Shizuru: awesome chapter, J-san. I got to call your OC a bitch.

J: ^_^' glad someone liked it. Now, if everyone'll excuse me, I'm gunna go take a nap. -yawn- I've stayed up 'til 1 to watch that new Witch Hunter Robin an' Inuyasha an' I'm tired. Review please! 

Yusuke: we'll get her next time. But we can't until we get reviews. -glares at readers- c'mon! review!


	28. Fighting for Life and A Fateful Decision

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Warnings: big, BIG dragon!

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fighting for Life/A Fateful Decision 

Thorn began to chuckle. But it wasn't her voice that caused the rumbling that erupted from the burrows of her throat. Her eyes opened slowly, no longer their bright green dye, but instead a crazed blue one, slits of black viciously and desperately holding the insanity in its place, from which it longed to break free from. The Spirit Detectives all stared in shock as she easily ripped through the whip, tearing as though it was nothing more than tissue paper.

"Now, it is my turn," came a deep and wizened voice, which chuckled in glee as it watched the amazement pass over the fighter's faces. The body of the girl began to transform, to shift and mold, the fawny skin becoming shinning black scales that grinned darkly. The long, graceful, fingers became glinting silver claws that shinned even in the dawning light with a deadly sparkle. Her body became longer and more serpentine, twisting and winding into something more snake-like. The nose elongated into a snout and the smile that had graced the full lips turning into a grin, revealing shards of jutting fangs. 

They were all forced to take a step back and Yusuke leapt into a tree at the edge of the clearing to stay clear of the giant creature. Its chuckled deepened into a full-fledged laugh as it dug its fore claws into the earth. 

The sun had just peeked over the very tips of the trees, making the hide of the great dragon shine brilliantly. Its silver claws glinted dangerously in the new-found light, their tips piercing into the earth and scarring its already marred terrain. Its tail lashed out with impossible speed, snapping the tree that Yusuke hastily discarded in favor of another, much safer one. 

"Oh how good it feels to finally have my real shape again!" the dragon cried out to the world as it grinned and laughed. It looked down and its eyes found footing on Kurama's figure, standing in a fighting pose, slackened from amazement.

"So how does it feel to face me once again in my true from, Youko Kurama?" it asked with a smile. The kitsune's eyes were wide with fear and he trembled slightly in the wake of the great creature.

'No, I refused to be intimidated,' Kurama thought, straightening and stiffening his position. The dragon roared in laughter. 'But what can I use to defeat him?'

"What a stupid thought," the dragon thundered. "Even in your true demon form you are no match for me."

"Hm," was the kitsune's reply as he continued to ready himself for an attack.

"But I must commend you two. To weaken my Mistress as much as you have. Those defensive shields drained her. But she knew that the Spirit Wave would destroyed us if she was not able to block it. But now that I am in my true shape, there is nothing that can kill me. I am immortal. I am unstoppable. It is foolish to think that you can defeat me," said the dragon. It paused and tilted its head to its right. 

"Spirit Wave!" Yusuke shouted from the air above the dragon. Its grin seemed to dim as it saw the spirit detective aiming his attack at him. It lashed its tail out just as Yusuke shot his Spirit Wave down at him, its tail slapping him in the back with such force the wind was knocked out of him, as well as the light of consciousness. He landed in a heap at the edge of the clearing.

"Yusuke!" Kurama cried as he watched the Spirit Detective fall to the ground. 

"I've got it, Kurama." Hiei was grim as he appeared at the boy's side, checking him for damage. Nothing seemed to be broken, but he was badly bruised and seemed to have some trauma to his back and neck, as well as to his head. Had the strike been another few inches higher and he'd surely be dead.

The dragon growled as the attack hit him square between the shoulders and dissipated. He shook himself as though trying to rid himself of an itch before looking over at Yusuke. 

"That boy should be proud. He made my Mistress scream in pain. She never feels pain," he said with a sneer. Kurama gapped at him.

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked darkly, looking up from the crumpled body before him and glaring at the Black Blaze. The dragon's sneer grew.

"I feel no pain as long as she lives, Hiei. Which is why I plan to keep her around for a while. When I am in this shape, she cannot control me, yet I have total control over this body. When pain is meant for my body, it is transferred to her and Rose. I feel no pain. That is why I am unstoppable," he said with a sadistic laugh, turning toward the fire youkai, who bared his fangs. "I have been waiting for this moment for many long months! Binding my time until I could overtake them!"

"How could you?" Kurama asked angrily, stepping forward. Another laugh answered his question.

"How _couldn't_ I? Tell me, if you had been sent into darkness for centuries would you not relish a release? You cannot answer that. You have never felt such a void. But it is not that I do not respect my Mistress'. I do with great loyalty. But when she excepted me in that vault, when she released me from my prison not moments before, she excepted the risk she was taking. And she took them for me. If she were not to fight, to just hand me over, she could avoid all charges against her. But she stands tall for me, and I shall stand tall for her until she bids me to drop to my knees. I will answer to her calls, I will never ignore them. Even if it sentences me to my death," the dragon said, his voice growing older and more regal as he spoke.

"You are willing to die for her?" Hiei asked. The dragon turned his head, letting his right eye look the fire youkai over.

"Yes," he answered simply. "She is my student, my heir, my daughter, and my Mistress in one body. She is the future. She is everything."

"You mean she is the bringer of our destruction?" the silent Shizuru asked. The Black Blaze turned and looked down on her.

"Foolish human, do you not see her? She means your world no harm, although I do not understand why she does not want to rule it. But neither of us are here to destroy this world. Although we both find humans to be a disgusting race. She wants only to become stronger, as do I. We will rule this world only with your fear, not by killing." He smirked. "At least, not killing enough to destroy your race." He turned his head back toward Kurama.

"But now I ramble. Not that it matters. You will die. Mistress has no more Spirit Energy and so she cannot take over this body again. But I will dispose of you long before she regains her energy," the Black Blaze said. He lifted his long tail and slashed it out behind him, making more trees crash to the ground in a mournful thunder. He looked to Kurama and opened his large jaws to take a deep breath. Realizing what was about to happen, Kurama dodged the large blast of fire that spilled from the gaping maw. The fire continued on to feed off the trees that lay behind him, their tongues licking greedily up the trunks toward the sky, blackening it with a potent smoke that made the air stifling to breathe. With a hiss, the dragon turned to where the kitsune had landed. With a grim expression, Kurama flicked his broken Rose Whip at the dragon, making it wrap around its jaws and lock in place due to two interlocking thorns.

'This will give me a few seconds to think. Dragons. Their greatest weakness is a thin piece of armor on the left side of its chest, even with its left arm. Somehow, I need to make him fall backward so I can plant a death seed there or Yusuke can attack it with his Spirit Gun,' Kurama thought frantically. The dragon's jaws broke the vine a moment later, from its lips spilling a snarl. Its glowing cobalt eyes fell down upon the demon below him.

"You are a fool to think you could so much as harm me, Youko Kurama! I cannot die! Black Dragon Claws!" he snarled. He raised his right claw, which flickered an angry navy, black streaking around the silver claws and weaving between the blue. It struck out, but its swipe was too slow and missed Kurama completely as he used his great agility to avoid it. The dragon's head jerked around.

"Now I have you!" he cried. Too late, Kurama twisted around to look behind him. The creature's tail, spiked to a point, rushed toward him.

"Kurama!" Hiei shouted, but it was too late for the kitsune to dodge as the blow hit him full in the stomach. With a pain-filled shout, the boy was thrown against another tree, near Yusuke's. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth as he let out a gasp before sliding to the ground with a large thud. His eyes closed as his chin fell to his chest, letting his bangs obscure his eyes as his body fell limp. But you could see, right before his eyes closed into unconscious oblivion, the fear, yet determination sparking in his green eyes. 

Hiei looked at Kurama, but it looked as though he would be fine as long as no more damage was inflicted upon him. He was still breathing, although the breaths were ragged. Hiei turned back to the snickering black dragon, his eyes glaring. 

"She was right. You are a bastard. Neither of you deserve to live," he hissed as he turned toward BlackFire. The dragon looked down on him.

"You still deny your feelings? Pitiful. And its a shame, because she denies her own for you as well." He grinned at the sudden expression that shot across Hiei's face. "Not that it matters. I will kill you. I have spared the others just for the prospect of killing you first. But don't fear. They will also die. If it wasn't for you, her first stage of training would be nearly complete. I had only to kill her mother before my entire first stage of training was complete, but you have foiled my plans. Her respect for you, as well as the feelings she has, the stupid human ones, have interfered. If I were to kill you, I would be one step closer to having her as perfect as any could dream. Then I would only have to take care of her mother." Hiei gritted his teeth in anger.

"You shouldn't toy with one's feelings," he hissed, his hand on his katana. The dragon grinned.

"I wouldn't try that. You will only shatter your sword against my unbreakable armor. You should run. I would love to hunt you," he said, his icy blue eyes sparkling. Hiei crouched, balancing on the balls of his feet, ready to skip across the air and make his slash.

"No. I don't run. I will fight you."

"And you would harm Thorn to fight me? I see the hesitation in your eyes," BlackFire rumbled. "And I will kill you with it still there. Your death comes now!" he roared, bringing his right claw up, making the morning sun reflect on its surface. It began to glow, but not as Black Dragon Claws. It was red, even though black still rimmed its edges. 

"Internal Fire!" he hissed with solicitude, bringing his large claw down just as Hiei contemplated which direction to dodge in. 

The talons lay at least ten feet away, burning into the ground as the earth spit up smoke as it disintegrated. Hiei looked up as a deafening roar filled the air. BlackFire thundered in rage, his wild eyes closing in pain as he backed away.

"No! Mistress! Let me be! Let me finish what I have started!" he cried, his face twisted in agony. He shook his head at the latent source of pain. Some unseen power filled the air. It felt... Like… Kuwabara?

'I tire of this, BlackFire. You and they, both, have jaded me. If not for your constant pestering, I could have taken care of this myself. But I gave you a chance of true freedom, and with it you have betrayed me. Return, or I will be forced to punish you,' came a pained voice through the air.

"Thorn," Hiei whispered, straightening with widened eyes, his voice questioning. But he received no answer to his breathless word.

"No! Mistress! How can you still be awake? You have no energy left!" BlackFire called, his body coiling like a poisoned snake.

'No, I did have energy. Kuwabara gave it to me. Or, rather, I took it from him. BlackFire, you have an uncanny ability to underestimate your enemies. And myself. Will you return in peace?' Thorn's voice was slowly gaining strength, although it was apparent that the dragon was fighting her and she was loosing.

"I will not defy you, Mistress. But give me a moment more of my freedom! I beg of you!"

'It is clear that you will not come in peace. Very well,' she said. Suddenly, the air became thick and slightly foggy with some mysterious blue mist.

"NO!" the dragon snarled in rage. Its body twisted and coiled in hot pain, crashing into trees and snapping them as if they were mere twigs. "I WILL NOT GO!" 

'Hiei. I need your help. Grab the medallion! Please hurry! I don't know now long I can hold him,' came Thorn's strained voice. Hiei was frozen in place. 'Please, Hiei!' Hiei shook out of his daze and looked around the clearing, searching for the piece of jewelry she spoke of. Something glittered in the sun near where the group had walked into the clearing. He bolted to it. Sure enough, it was the frozen dragon medallion that she spoke of. He picked it up, looking at it. 

Its eyes, they were green.

'Throw it!' she cried, but her voice was barely a whisper. Her energy, Kuwabara's energy, was nearly gone, he could feel it. He looked at the dragon in its pain before throwing the pendant at them. Seemingly involuntarily, the Black Blaze lifted his nose and the chain settled around his throat. He looked at Hiei and snarled fiercely.

"I... will return… for your… soul," he managed to gasp just before his body melted into another shape. In a few moments, Thorn swayed before Hiei. She looked at him, her eyes, which had been nearly glowing in seriousness before, were back to their normal pigment. She gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Hiei. I didn't know what I was getting myself into," she said in a small voice. She stumbled on her feet as she walked toward him. Hiei stepped forward. She stopped in front of him, her breath heavy and her knees shaking in weakness.

"I can't fight you, Hiei. I am too weak. I leave my fate in your hands while I-" but she didn't get to finish as she fell to her knees. She looked up at him and gave a small smile. "I try to recover." With a heavy sigh her eyes closed and she sat back on her heels, her arms drooping to her sides in exhaustion. "Thank you," she whispered. She was asleep. Hiei looked down at her, then over at his teammates. 

Shizuru lay draped over her brother in a deep slumber. Thorn must have used the last of her energy to put her to sleep. Kuwabara seemed unharmed with the exception of being totally drained of all of his Spirit Energy. Kurama seemed to have taken the worst of the damage, although Yusuke was roughed up as well. All were unconscious. The clearing lay in ruins, the flames having been extinguished from the trees, which lay in piles of ash. The ground was covered in claw marks nearly six feet long apiece, the grass torn and scattered, broken and laying in puzzled clumps. Trees lay in heaps along the clearing's edge. The sky was still blackened from the smoke, but the sun was slowly plowing its fierce, warm rays through the thick and unnatural clouds. The only thing that was missing from this scene of destruction was the blood. But it was not missed by the youkai.

Hiei looked down at the young woman that sat before him. She looked extremely tired sitting there, her breath unnaturally quick and her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat that smelled strangely of dragon blood. With the gentlest of hands, he picked her up, laying her against his chest as he began to walk, making sure not to touch the silent sword.

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Authoress' Note: another chappy! Yays! ^_^ actually, I've had this ready for about a week, but I had to wait for reviews and then I just didn't post it because I was working on the NEXT chapter, which is nearly completed! ^_^

Shizuru: damn, why'd you put me to sleep? I wanted to watch Hiei kick that sorry dragon's butt. 

J: ^_^' that comes in later. But its for the same reason that Thorn didn't let the dragon kill everyone. She like's ya'll. Then again, who couldn't? ^_^ aww! Hiei, yer so sweet! -looks around- Hiei?

Kurama: ahh, he left. Said he had to go talk to his agent about something or other about out of characterness.

J: -pout- aww! He's gunna miss the exciting next chapter!

Yusuke: -whispering to Kuwabara- I think that's the point.

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Reviews:

SilverKnight7: lol. No preview? Aww, but that's no fun! Hehe. ^_^ here's yer update!  


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Tomboy: lol. ^_^ glad you seem eager. And yes, this is basically the final show-down. But, unlike most show-downs, stuff happens after this! ^_^' err… it wasn't her braid, it was the necklace she had at her throat. ^_^ lol. Here's yer update!  


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Miyako14: lol. -yawn- yeah, I need a nap. I swear I haven't gotten more than eight hours of sleep for the past four days. It really sucks. ^_^ I have this cute -sarcastic- little black rings around my eyes. Lol. Yeah, can't wait 'til Monday and another WHR ep. And New Inuyasha is on in april! Yay!  


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baka-chibi-puffs: -blush- thank ye. I must admit, it's not half as bad as I originally thought it might turn out. ^_^. Err… please don't strangle me? Besides, Hiei might beat you to the punch. Hehe. Yay! B-C-P is off probation! Yay! I SO have to see the Tournament endings. -pout- I'm jealous! Lol. ^_^' err… here's yer update. Don't kill me.  


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Hiei's1girl: here's yer update! ^_^ lol, yeah, just a little low right now. I majorly need to save up for more bribing tickets for the Detectives! Lol. 0.0' wow. I need to get one of those….  


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Teaser:

Images flashed through Thorn's mind. It was dark. Black and shapeless. The way they all seemed to find comfort in. Rose stood to Thorn's left, her dark green eyes heated in anger as she glared at a form across from her. BlackFire stood to Thorn's right, respective, yet persuasive, his deep voice growling coaxingly as his tail twitched. Thorn sat on a bench between them, her arms and legs crossed and her eyes closed as she both listened and ignored. Another battle was to ensue. This one would determine when the next step of her training would occur, and how it was to be executed.

"Mistress, please, hear me out," BlackFire said sweetly, his tail low and his voice consoling to Rose's fierce temper, which struggled within her to cool its vicious flame. "It is important that you not get distracted from our goal. Hiei is a distraction. He must be taken care of."

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J: so what's up with Hiei? Is he going to take Thorn to Koenma's as instructed? Maybe he's actually gunna follow instructions! ^_^

Kurama: and I have a big part in the next chapter as well, of course.

J: how did you know that?!

Kurama: ^_^' why, um, you told me of course.

J: like hell I did. Jerk. Prying into my computer files will get yer ass kicked in my stories. 

Kurama: ^_^' umm, yes, well, please review. Once again, J-san has forgotten about the disclaimer, so this goes for all the times she has forgotten that she does not own us. She owns only the three characters shown in the teaser. ^_^ have a nice day!

J: kurama! What ELSE did you put on my computer?! Don't think I don't see all this downloaded music on here! Yer on to type yer story and that's it!

Yusuke: ohh, this should be good. 

Kuwabara: I've got twenty bucks on J-san that she'll beat Kurama over the head with her magic spoon.

Yusuke: yeah, well I bet that if she doesn't get reviews she kill everyone and refuse to post Kurama's story, which is looking pretty good. 

Kuwabara: you're on! 

J: reviews are appreciated and loved! Hopefully, with more sweet-snow Hiei'll come back, due to he found the stash and now its gone! ^_^ Thank ye!


	29. Healing and Hiei's Ghost

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Warnings: OOCness from Hiei, but I guess now that's to be expected, hai?

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Healing and Hiei's Ghost 

Murmurs filled the deep cave. Hiei walked in, his arms filled with dry logs that would serve as firewood for the flame nestled in the middle of the hollowed cavern. Thorn lay to his left, thrashing slightly and growling in her sleep, her brow furrowed in concentration as flickers of light danced across her face, shadowing and brightening its surface in a ritual of courtship with light and dark. Confused, he put down the wood quietly and walked over to her, kneeling by her side and observing her unusual behavior.

"Stop it.... quit fighting... Stop!" came her desperate murmurs. She was warm, her face flushed as she twitched. Hiei picked up a cool, damp cloth that lay in a shallow bowl of river water beside her and rung it out. He patted her face with it lightly, letting the coolness wash over her face. Her eyes flew open, not with fear, but with unusual quickness, and looked at him in wide-eyed and unrecognizable uneasiness. Her hand flew to his wrist unconsciously, but the grip was not tight, only firm.

"Hiei," she whispered as she released his wrist and looked away, her unregistering eyes gaining the light of recognition. She struggled to sit up on the hard-packed dirt and stone floor, a twist of pain coming to her face. Hiei grunted and stood up, walking to where he had placed the wood and threw more on the eagerly waiting fire. 

"You're awake," he said at last, for lack of a better answer to her address to him, watching the flames building upwards toward the arced gray ceiling above it. She nodded solemnly. She looked down at her blanket, fingering its black and red material lightly. Realizing what it was, she turned to look at Hiei, who did not return the gesture, even when he saw her brows pucker in what one could swear was a more thankful form of uncertainty from the corner of his eye.

"Hiei," she said softly, looking at the flames as they reflected off his tank top. He looked up at her, then, if only to get a more prominent look of her expression.

"What?" he asked. She gave a smile.

"Thanks," she said, holding his cloak in her hands.

"Hn," he grunted, turning and putting another stick on the fire. There was silence, but for the snickering of the fire, and it was a comfortable one, but Thorn's curiosity ended up getting the better of her.

"How are they?" she asked.

"Who?" he asked, although he knew about whom her question was aimed.

"Kurama and the others. I put Shizuru to sleep a little rudely, and I didn't know if I over-did it and forced her into something a little more than a two-hour nap like I planned. Not to mention both Kurama and Yusuke were hit badly," she said. Hiei continued to look into the fire.

"Kurama had a few broken ribs. Nothing he couldn't handle. Yusuke had a concussion, but it was little more than that. Shizuru woke up fine. Kuwabara did too, although he was bed-ridden for the day," he explained, his voice blank. Thorn gave a thoughtful sigh. Hiei glanced up at her. "You've been asleep for nearly three days." She gave a half-hearted laugh.

"That all? It seems hardly long enough," she said. She held up a hand, opening and closing it slowly, concentrating on its movements. "Hm. Hardly long enough." Hiei watched from the corner of his eye. She was measuring her energy, he noticed, as it misted from her palm.

She lowered her hand with a sigh and closed her eyes. She struggled to hide a yawn.

"You should sleep," Hiei said. She nodded.

"Yes. I suppose I should." She turned toward him. "Thank you, Hiei," she said simply as she laid back down on the cold floor, drifting back to sleep before he could say anything.

"Hn. Sure," he whispered, gently throwing another log on the fire.

*

"Yukina, how are they doing?" Shizuru asked. She had waken later after the fight to see Hiei trying to lift his teammates from the ground. Together they had taken the three boys and placed them in Shizuru's car, which she had driven to get to the site when she had the strangest feeling that the dream she had had was about to come true. They had driven in silence, now and then a groan coming from one of the injured boys. Upon arriving at the girl's house, they took the three unconscious boys into the house, laying them on random couches and futons that they had placed in a large guestroom. Hiei had left not long after, and Yukina had appeared, tending to their wounds. The fire demon had been in and out constantly, leaving in the night mostly, and returning in the mornings before she woke.

The ice apparition looked up at the tall girl, who stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. "They are doing well. But they went through much pain during the fight," she said, turning to Yusuke and Kurama. Kuwabara had awaken later on the second day, seemingly fully recovered. Ever since he had been by Yukina's side, growling fuming nothings under his breath as he watched her work. Shizuru had sent him out earlier that day to shop, just to get him out of the koorime's way as she tended to the rest of the Reikai Tantei.

*

Kurama opened his eyes to the setting sun shinning down on him. With a groan he blinked at the blithe orb for a few moments before he propped himself up on an elbow, receiving a burst of pain from his diaphragm and back as a thanks for his troubles. He cringed and pulled his other arm up to hold his slowly healing ribs.

"So, you're awake," came a voice from the kitsune's left. He looked over to see Hiei standing in the doorway.

"Hiei. How long have I been asleep?" he asked, a hand going to his head as he sat up completely, a pain still twisting in his gut.

"Three and a half days," Hiei said, stepping forward.

"And the others?" he asked.

"Yusuke is still asleep. The Black Blaze gave him a concussion. Kuwabara is fine."

"And Thorn? What happened to her?" He turned toward the youkai expectantly, although he could feel the answer would be disappointing.

"Gone," Hiei said simply. Kurama nodded, looking back toward the window.

"How?" he asked quietly. Hiei hesitated, searching for an answer for his friend. He did not want to lie, yet felt he had to.

"She regained control over him using Kuwabara's energy," he said, hoping it would sustain Kurama's curiosity. But it just made the red-head look at him suspiciously.

"Hiei," Kurama began. The fire demon turned away, knowing what he was about to say. He didn't want to tell him what he was hiding.

"You should rest, Kurama. Thinking too much will only weaken your condition." He left, not giving the injured boy a chance to answer or retort. He met Yukina in the hall.

"Kurama is awake," he said as he passed her, meeting her eyes for but a moment before continuing on his way. She nodded and rushed daintily up the remainder of the stairs into the room where Kurama and Yusuke were bedded. Kurama was sitting up in bed, fully dressed.

"Kurama," Yukina said in her small voice, stopping in the doorway where her brother had stood not moments before, unknown to her that he was her brother. Kurama turned and looked at her with a small smile.

"Hello, Yukina," he said.

"Kurama, you should rest. Your ribs are still healing," she said, taking a step forward, her red eyes wide with worry.

"Don't worry about me, Yukina. I'll be fine. Where is Hiei going?" he asked suddenly, turning back toward the window on the bed, contemplating standing or not.

"I-I don't know. He's been in and out lately. Is something wrong with him, Kurama? I did not feel as if he was in pain," she said.

"Not physical pain. Pain of the mind and heart is all," Kurama said, taking his time as he rose to his feet.

"I don't understand," she said quietly, confusion lacing her undertones. He stood and turned toward her.

"Look after Yusuke, please, Yukina," he said as he walked past her. She turned to watch him descend down the stairs. She turned back to concentrate her energies on Yusuke and his wounds.

*

Images flashed through Thorn's mind. It was dark. Black and shapeless. The way they all seemed to find comfort in. Rose stood to Thorn's left, her dark green eyes heated in anger as she glared at a form across from her. BlackFire stood to her right, respective, yet persuasive, his deep voice growling coaxingly as his tail twitched. Thorn sat on a bench between them, her arms and legs crossed and her eyes closed as she both listened and ignored. Another battle was to ensue. This one would determine when the next step of her training would occur, and how it was to be executed.

"Mistress, please, hear me out," BlackFire said sweetly, his tail low and his voice consoling to Rose's fierce temper, which struggled within her to cool its vicious flame. "It is important that you not get distracted from our goal. Hiei is a distraction. He must be taken care of."

"No! He will not die! I wont let you kill him!" Rose thundered. Thorn sat impassively, listening. She could hear breath. It was not Hiei's. But it was another youkai. It was no human, for their breaths were quick, unstable. Demon breathing was steady, calm. She would wait. This meeting was important and as long as she was aware of their presents, they posed no threat. Even in her weak state she could slaughter any number of powerful demons with one swipe of her hand, or even a mind trick, without draining herself. She just preferred to play cat and mouse before she killed, but she would kill without thought if it was needed.

"Mistress! Please! You need to understand! Thorn will never acquire her greatest power unless she has no distractions! He poses a threat to our goal!" the dragon growled, a snap hinting in his voice.

"I do understand, BlackFire! I understand the emotions, while you understand the battling. We have our places in this new soul that we have created! She thrives upon us! She thrives upon what we feel! But you treat her only as the heir to your power!" Rose hissed, her fists clenching at her sides, her long, shoulder-length bangs falling from behind her shoulders and framing her angered face. The air was rising in electricity as they shot each other glares. Thorn tried desperately to block them out, to concentrate on the other creature in the cave, but their shouts echoed in the wall-less room of space and she could not. 

"No, Mistress. I serve her as I serve you," BlackFire cooed in a rumbling voice. "I want only the best for my Mistress's."

Thorn's eyes opened suddenly, making both BlackFire and Rose stop their argument just as Rose began an incautious sentence. She stood with a growl, her eyes in the distance. Rose caught her breath.

"There is pain," Rose said quietly.

+In the Cave+

Thorn's hand lashed out, clamping itself around the intruder's throat with startling strength. She sat up quickly, although her stomach protested with a shot of pain, her lips curled in a snarl.

"I'll kill y-." Her eyes opened to see Kurama struggling for breath under her grasp. Her expression changed, loosing its fierce snarl and heated icy blue glare. She blinked and her eyes returned to their normal, however bright, hue.

"Kurama," she said, surprised, her grip loosening, but not removing itself from around his throat. He gave a confident smile, although, in fact, he was not feeling as such. His eyes did not stray from her own, but he watched the glowing sword out of the corner of his eye. 

It was dark, night, only the fire bringing warmth and light to the cave. But the shadows it had made on her angered face only made her look more intimidating. He ignored it as her features softened in recognition.

"Thorn. How nice to see you again," he said, his voice tight due to the restriction on his throat. She took her hand away and he replaced it with one of his own, rubbing the point where the pressure had been.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a light growl.

"I could ask you the same question," he said.

"Answer me," she said, with more force. 

There was the slightest sound of feet on rock and Thorn jerked her head toward the entrance with a glare. 

"Hiei," she said, her tone obviously softer than it had been for Kurama.

"Kurama. How did you find this place?" Hiei asked after taking in the situation with a calm demeanor, although it was clear he did not like the sight before him.

"I got directions," he said wittily. Thorn growled, not happy with his answer, her eyes narrowing. She looked down to hide the scowl on her face, and noticed that the mark on her stomach, which should have been a thin, white scar, was gone, as well as some of the immediate pain. She had been healing herself from the inside out, not the other way around, and the scar should still be in place, as well as the pain.

"Kurama," she said, drawing his name out like a mother threatening her child. "I don't need your help." Both boys looked at her.

"Hm. I discovered that soon enough," Kurama said blankly as Hiei approached. She bared just the tips of her teeth, reminding him of the expression Hiei had used when he had woken him from his murmuring dreams.

Kurama stood up with a small sigh. He looked over at Hiei, who was about five feet away.

"I see that you've discovered the ghost that haunted your dreams. I wish you luck in your attempt to understand and contain it. It is such an illusive phantom," Kurama said as he walked past Hiei and out of the cave.

"What was he talking about, Hiei?" Thorn asked, struggling to straighten without pain, and failing, yet refusing to show it. Hiei turned and watched his friend leave, contemplating his words. 

'The ghosts that haunt my dreams? He must mean whatever he was rambling about what was bothering me when I slept. Understand them? What's to understand? They were just... nothings,' Hiei thought.

"Nothing that matters," he said aloud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: yay! ^_^ yet one more chapter for ya'll! I'm glad everyone liked the last one!

Kurama: well, I wouldn't say _every_one, J-san.

J: oh?

Kuwabara: the Shrimp's still at his agent's demanding that he get the right to sue.

J: -pout- oh no, poor baby. 

Yusuke: yeah, I kinda feel bad for him

WHAM!

Yusuke: @_@ gaa…

Kurama: really Yusuke, one would think you've learned by now.

J: anyway! ^_^ away from all the dour stuff! Reviewers are wonderful!

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Reviews:

SilverKnight7: an update just for ya'll!  


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Miyako14: ^_^ here's more. Lol. Well, my circles are gone. I started to let my dog sleep on my bed again and she just puts me right to sleep! ^_^ so I'm all good now. Here's yer update!  
  


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Spartan dragon: u_u sorry you don't get it. I try not to make it too confusing, but I guess I can get just a little too complicated sometimes. Sorry!   
  


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Midnightdream51: lol. Its okay about the reviewing thing. ^_^ no biggy. Lol, don't puncha hole through it! You might need it in the future. ^_^ don't worry, I've had the same problem with my old computer. 

0.o err… lol, thanks! ^_^ I didn't know it was F*ing awesome. Lol. Was the setting okay? I thought that maybe I didn't go into enough detail with it and people would think it was like the size of an above ground 4foot pool. ^_^ yeah, the colors were alright, sounds, well, there could have been more. I guess when I wrote it I was in a really artistic mood or something, because, as you can see, I focused mainly on color and movement. Lol, I think you mean imagery. ^_^ and I don't get the voices part, but okay! Feeling, flow, fighting, all I had to edit constantly, and I still feel like they can be improved upon. -shrug- lol, glad you saw it as an episode! That's was I was aiming for when I edited it! Glad you liked it. Oh, and in case yer wondering, inspiration for her transformation can be linked to Sesshoumaru's change in the like 5 ep of Inuyasha. ^_^. But I do agree with you about the more description thing. u_u I was trying to capture it quickly and didn't even think about that in the editing! Thank you so much! I'll keep that in mind in future chapters/stories. Lol, wow, 0.o I can't believe anyone would read a chapter of my story more than once! I didn't think the descriptions were that good. Lol, this is the best praise I've ever had for a piece of work! Thank ye! Yeah, I like the ending too. ^_^ err… ^_^' right… no angst here. ^_^' of course none of that! -cough- well, the romance thing picked up a bit here. Don't worry though, I don't do lemons. Nope! So even intimate relationships would be more fluff than serious stuff. There are times when I wish I could write good, good lemons. Yay! Hiei, ya hear that! She says you weren't too ooc! Yay! -looks around- whoops, forgot that he still hasn't come back. Um, answered the question about what he was going to do with the others this chapter. Lol, me have funny authoress' notes! Yay! ^_^ and yes, you have the whole rose/thorn/black blaze thing figured out. Basically, when Rose and the Black Blaze combined their souls, they made another soul. Rose sacrificed half of her soul, while the Black Blaze sacrificed a quarter of his. They created Thorn in the process. Below is a full explanation as to Thorn's creation and such. Thank ye! 

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baka-chibi-puffs: ^_^ lol, you give me too much credit! Thank you! And that totally sucks about the probation issue. Damn parents. Lol. Not on anime?! What kind of torchure chamber are you from?! They _are_ considered TV shows. Lol, I wont die, and even if I did, then the story is complete, I'd just have to get someone to post it for me. But then you'll never know the end to the sequel! Because I have yet to finish it… -sigh- anyway, thank ye!  


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Thorn's Creation-Rose's and Black Blaze's/BlackFire's relationship:

Alright, here it goes. When Rose acquired the Black Blaze (okay, let's ease this up a bit. The sword/dragon is going to be BB, Rose is R and Thorn is T, okay?) he started to teach her martial arts. He needed a strong body and was waiting for his chance to overtake her. The problem was, the stronger he helped make the body, the stronger he made her mentally. He had been binding his time in hopes of getting the body stronger, and, at the time, could force R to release him from his prison so he could feed [kill people and eat their souls] for brief moments. Even later, after the creation of Thorn, he would overtake them and force them to release him so that he could kill. He needs souls to survive and needs to acquire one every six months. Think of Gouki when Hiei and Kurama stole the articles of darkness, including the orb, sword and mirror. Okay, back on topic, so he eats souls. Big whoop. But once he eats a soul, if its power is stronger than his own, then he takes a sliver of the soul and binds it to his own, and thus comes about the reason for why he is so evil, because most of the souls he acquired and infused within himself were sick with greed and need for power. So he became as such. So in hopes of creating a strong body with a soul he could control, he put up the offer to R of creating another soul to rule the body. She did eventually agree and so they fused half of R's soul and half of BB's soul to form T. thus, T was born! Lol, sounds like the power puff dude, huh? ^_^ anyway, so the relationship with BB and R is straight, right? They argue over her body to assume control of it. But that comes up next chapter in more detail. Onto BB and T's relationship. Basically, she listens to whoever is in control of the situation at the time. Mostly it is BB due to the fact that all three agree that she should be strong and train hard, but R takes over when she thinks that the situation is too human for the dragon to take care of, due to him not feeling emotions as forcefully as she does.

J: ^_^ alright, well that about sums it up. Hope it answered some questions! Review if you still have more! And even if you don't! just because reviewing it cool. ^_^

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Teaser:

"Hn. Glad you made it in once piece." Hiei looked down. Thorn was sitting on a bench, the only furniture in the entire 'room', her arms and legs crossed, her eyes closed and her face lacking definite expression.

"What is _he_ doing here?" came a deep and guttural growl in front of the youkai. Hiei quickly turned his attention to the interruption, his eyes cold as they landed on the figure. A tall humanoid creature was looking at him, his eyes a shinning and icy blue, his shoulder-length hair jet black with light blue highlights was held back in a neat pony-tail. He bared long fangs at the youkai menacingly, glaring at him hatefully.

"Thorn, please explain," came a softer, yet very firm voice. Hiei recognized it. He turned toward his left and across from the man was a young woman with long brown hair, its highlights a cheerful copper even in the darkness. Her dark green eyes watched him, her expression as blank as Thorn's eyes. It was Rose.

"I thought he had a right to know if I will have to kill him," Thorn said with a shrug.

"Mistress," said the tall male, turning toward Rose. "You can't let her do this."

"You'd better calm down, BlackFire, or you'll be sprouting your tail early today," Thorn said. The man growled.

"Silence," he grumbled. Thorn said nothing. He turned to glare at Rose, who raised her brows in an expression that clearly stated the course of wordflow that would spill from her lips had done so many times before.

"I have no control over her, BlackFire, she is her own person whether or not you or I like it. I can only encourage," Rose said. She sighed and turned away from the young woman on the bench and Hiei. "Let's get back to the manner at hand. Today is the final meeting about this subject. When the next step in Thorn's training should commence."

Hiei looked down at Thorn. "BlackFire prefers to come in his human form. It really doesn't suit him, but he insists upon looking presentable. He'll be in his true form soon enough. He cannot hold this image when he is angry," Thorn explained.

"Where is this place?" he asked.

"Just space. We are images in our minds here. We cannot touch but we can hear and speak." She lifted a hand and lowered it to his arm. But there was no feel. Instead, the image fluttered and died until she retreated her hand, then the image returned. "I guess you could call us ghosts."

"Thorn, quiet. Keep to listening for others," Rose said, turning her attentions back to BlackFire. Thorn nodded.

"Don't you have a say in this matter?" Hiei asked.

"No," Thorn said simply, and fell silent. 

++++++++++++

J: ye likes? I hope so! ^_^ please review! Tata! 


	30. In the Cover of Darkness

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Warnings: Fluff. LOTS of fluffiness. ^_^

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Thirty: In the Cover of Darkness

The next night was cool, the fire not large enough to heat the cave fully, but big enough to emit a gentle light. Thorn was awake. Both Rose and BlackFire had decided to separate for the night to get their arguments together. Her head felt like a court room, very recently deserted. BlackFire's physical shape, imprisoning his soul, lay behind her, silent in a sleep-like cloud of thought. 

Thorn watched the small flames of the fire, letting the light reflect off her emerald depths. She looked up after a long while to see Hiei on the opposite wall on the other side of the fire, sleeping with his katana leaning snuggly against his shoulder, his chin nestled against his chest and his right knee parallel with it as his foot lay flat on the floor. He looked very peaceful with the flames dancing across his face, playing with the shadows on his expression, she noticed. She stood up slowly and walked over to the pile of dry firewood that he had gathered to sustain them through the chill of night. She took a large log and placed it on the waning ambers, which sparked and snapped gleefully at the new fuel. She straightened from beside the flames and looked over at Hiei. His skin was lightly scattered with goose bumps. She walked over to him quietly, her bare feet silent on the hard dirt floor, free from the binds of her boots, which stood rigidly on near the fall wall. She knelt down next to him, taking his cloak, which lay draped over her arm, and placing it around his shoulders. He twitched, but did not wake. She watched him a moment and then, with painstaking slowness, Thorn raised her hand up to his face, brushing her fingers against the stray locks of hair that fell over his closed eyes. 

Hiei opened his eyes slowly to the touch. He blinked before lifting his head from where it rested on his chest. He felt the touch retreat and looked to his right, where Thorn knelt with a small smile. She sat down beside him as he observed her movements, which, he noticed, hardly hinted at pain. He felt the warm fabric of his cloak around his shoulders and raised a hand to touch it.

"You should keep warm while you heal," he said, pulling the cloak from his shoulders and holding it out to her. She shook her head.

"I know that you are cold. You take it," she said. Hiei deliberated a moment before setting it down in the small space between them.

"Its here when you want it," he said as he looked toward the slowly growing flames of the fire. There was a brief moment of silence, filled only by their quiet breaths and the fire's crackling laughter. 

"I'm sorry," she said very suddenly, and very quietly. Hiei glanced at her from the corner of his eye, noting her serious expression in the unsteady light before turning back to the flames himself.

"For what?" he asked, being sure to keep expression from his voice. 

"For making you help me like this. You shouldn't be helping your enemy." He gave a small snort. 

"Who says I'm helping an enemy? I'm only helping you," Hiei said, throwing her own words back at her with a haunting echo. She smirked and gave a sad laugh that floated through the air delicately. 

"You know that you could get in trouble for helping me. So why are you?" she asked, turning to look at him. Hiei yearned to look up, but kept his eyes pasted on the fire as he spoke.

"I've asked you the same questions before, and you never gave me straight answers, so I wont give you any either," he said. She gave another small laugh, turning her eyes back toward the fire.

"I thank you, Hiei. For real. I've never felt so wanted before," she said tiredly, her voice laced with drunken sleeping tones. Hiei turned his head sharply, looking at her with questioning and narrowed eyes, but she had faded off to sleep. He grunted and took his cloak, settling it around her before settling back against the cave wall and going back to sleep himself.

*

Hiei woke late that night. There was a comforting warmth on his right side, but the rest of him felt the cold setting in, seeping through his sparse clothing. He opened his eyes into sleepy slits. The fire was out, he noticed through his sleepy haze. He lifted his head from some warm, silken pillow, and looked around him. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was so warm against him. Thorn's head lay under his chin, resting against his shoulder as she slept, her breath even and warm against the fabric of his tank top, seeping through the textile. He tried to move away, but stopped when Thorn murmured and moved closer, shivering against him under his cloak's enveloping wings. With an uneasy glance around him, he straightened against the wall, his back stiff. Thorn's brow furrowed as she turned toward him, murmuring nothings under her breath as her hand rested on his chest, snuggling closer to him.

He sat there for an hour, not moving and stiff under her touch, however soft and comforting it was. Finally, he began to relax as the night grew colder. Whether or not he'd admit it, he was a little cold and, being unable to stand to rekindle the fire, needed to except the offered warmth. So instead of resisting as Thorn moved closer, he welcomed the warmth her touch brought, chasing away the frozen fingers of midnight chill. He sighed as his eyes became heavy. Without meaning to, he fell asleep once more.

*

Hiei was first to wake in the early morning hours before dawn. The cold had not left, and, if anything, was more intense, as he lay on the cool floor of the cave, but he didn't feel it. He was blissfully warm, he noticed as he opened his eyes slowly, the warmth hazing his eyes and struggling to seduce him back into slumber. He looked around him groggily. Thorn's head lay on his chest, her hand on his right shoulder. He shook his head, startled, and took another look. His arms lay wrapped around her shoulders as she lay on his chest, her left leg draping over his, closing the gap between them into nothing but a hair's breath. 

Hiei's eyes widened at the sight he imagined they must be. He tried desperately to wiggle away, removing his arms from around her shoulders, only to have Thorn grip his shirt and mumble something, nuzzling into his chest. He looked around frantically, wondering what he should do.

"Thorn, wake up," Hiei said quietly, shaking her. She continued mumbling, but her eyes opened slowly. She shivered, feeling the cold, and pulled herself closer to Hiei as she closed her eyes again. As you can imagine, this was a very awkward position for Hiei, not knowing what to do, he shook her again, calling her name once more. This time she opened her eyes fully and looked around. She lifted her face toward his voice, blinking at the sleep in her mind and eyes.

"Hiei," she said, surprised to see him above her. "What's wrong?"

"Ahh," he began, not sure how to say what he wanted to say without sounding perverted. But he didn't need to, she looked around, her sense of touch finally kicking in. She began to blush, embarrassed.

"Oh," she said stupidly, peeling herself away from him. He sat up as she sat beside him, still blushing furiously. "Sorry." Hiei didn't answer, but pink tinted his cheeks as well, even though he tried with all his will to suppress it.

He stood up, and she followed suit, walking back over to the fire, her cheeks still painted lightly as she began to rekindle the dead flames. He looked around, there was plenty of dry wood and the cave would soon be warm again.

"You should go and check on Yusuke to make sure he's okay," Thorn said. "They'll be wondering where you are." There was the smallest of sparks from the fire. She placed some dry moss on the fire, which grew in the cave, and set it on fire using a small flame of raw Spirit Energy. Flames began to slowly claw their way through the moss, picking it up with hungry greed.

"I suppose so," the fire youkai said, placing his hands in his pockets. "I'll be back later," he said, turning to go. Thorn waited until she was sure he was gone before giving a heavy sigh and relaxing. She felt like she had been holding her breath. She shook her head.

'I'm going crazy!' she thought as she threw down more sticks and stood with a snort. 'How could I do that?! Let that happen?! So stupid.' She walked over to the side of the cave where her boots lay and proceeded to put them on. 'I'm a fool.'

+Meanwhile+

Hiei walked along the road quickly, toward the Kuwabara household. It was still dark when he entered it, swiftly, silently, without being noticed. He walked down the hall toward the guestroom with the same cunning about him. Yusuke was asleep, but Kurama sat in the corner of the room in a chair with his arms and legs crossed, shadows covering his face and its expression.

"You're back," Kurama said quietly, watching as Hiei stood in the doorway from under his thick red hair, being sure that his voice implied nothing.

"Hn," was the reply.

"How long are you going to do this?" the kitsune asked. He received no answer for a long time.

"When she is healed." Kurama looked at him in the darkness at the softness in his tone.

"She _is_ healed."

"What does it matter to you?" Hiei snapped quietly, looking away from the kitsune's level and calculating gaze.

"Hiei-" Kurama began softly, making to stand and approach, but a glare made him stop. He had never exchanged such a gaze with the fire youkai; not even when they stole the three artifacts and he had betrayed both Hiei and Gouki. Although he knew that Hiei would not harm him, the gaze truly was intimidating. His voice faltered, but he tried to continue. "You must stop th-" Hiei growled and turned away.

"I don't need your advice," he growled darkly, stopping Kurama in his tracks.

"But Hiei-" Kurama began again, trying to keep his voice low. But he was never able to finish. Hiei disappeared from the doorway just as the sun hit the far reaches of the city. Kurama sighed and looked out the window, knowing it was fruitless to chase the demon in the large city, for it would only anger him. He would come to terms with this on his own, the kitsune decided and resettled in his chair to ponder over the latest occurrence.

Hiei walked along, royally pissed off. The day quickly wore on into mid-afternoon with the same thoughts shifting through his head as his feet carried him where they pleased. 'What the hell was he thinking? He's acting like I wasn't aware that I would have to turn her in. I know that I should have right after we fought, but... I don't know... I just couldn't. But I will. After I defeat her. I wont let anyone live who's stronger than me. Especially no human,' he thought, letting his rage cool into resolute determination. It was strange, it seemed that in the past two or three days he hadn't been the same. For one, he hadn't picked a fight with Kuwabara since... a long time. Agg! What the hell was going on? 

'I'll turn her in as soon as I get back,' he thought certainly. He had reached the edge of the forest and with grim determination he bolted into the trees toward the cave, his mind set on his mission. 

He stopped at the entrance to the cave, hesitant for just a second. It was dark inside, but he could just see the flickering of the fire in the distance. With a growl he swaggered into the cave. He'd take care of this problem now.

Thorn glanced up at him as he walked in, a flash of bright green in the darkness, a flicker of gold from the fire sparking their chasms. Her eyes made his step falter and he was forced to pause before beginning what he had planned on saying. Yes, he had planned out what he was going to say to her, to ensure that mistakes were lost in the haze of determined thought. But her eyes, there was a gentleness in them as she looked at him before hardening as she returned to look at the fire. She seemed suddenly very distant.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, his tone holding more scoff then he meant. 

"Hn." She glanced at him again. "Do you really want to know?" she asked with a bit of a snap. He noticed she was wrapped in a thick comforter blanket, one he recognized from her bed, his cloak folded neatly beside her, brushed free of dirt. He didn't speak. 

"Then sit down," she said, her eyes now blank and stoic, even the flames of the fire unable to bring any semblance of life to them. He hesitated. He just wanted to get this over with and take her to Koenma so he never had to see her or hear her voice again. He wanted all the confusion to go away, to leave him forever.

He knelt down beside her, his knees on his folded cloak. She shed the blanket from her shoulders, which were freckled with faint goose bumps, and turned to him without expression. She had replaced BlackFire on her back, he noticed, and it glowed brightly, angry and hissing. She raised her right hand slowly and brought it up to his forehead. She gently took off the bandana that covered his Jagan eye and pressed her fingertips against his forehead lightly. There was a blinding flash of light, a pain going through his Jagan eye as well as a burn at the back of his natural eyes. He took in his breath quickly before closing his eyes and settling into the darkness.

/In the darkness/

Hiei stood in a dark room. A room that had no walls. It was like space, a never-ending stretch of black. He looked around curiously, suspiciously.

"Hn. Glad you made it in once piece." Hiei looked down. Thorn was sitting on a bench, the only furniture in the entire 'room', her arms and legs crossed, her eyes closed and her face lacking definite expression.

"What is _he_ doing here?" came a deep and guttural growl in front of the youkai. Hiei quickly turned his attention to the interruption, his eyes cold as they landed on the figure. A tall humanoid creature was looking at him, his eyes a shinning and icy blue, a streak of black raging through them jaggedly, his shoulder-length hair jet black with light blue highlights was held back in a neat pony-tail at the base of his neck. He bared long fangs at the youkai menacingly, glaring at him hatefully.

"Thorn, please explain," came a softer, yet very firm voice. Hiei's eyes widened as recognized it. He turned toward his left and across from the man was a young woman with long brown hair, its highlights a cheerful copper even in the darkness. Her dark green eyes watched him, her expression as blank as Thorn's eyes. 

Rose.

"I thought he had a right to know if I will have to kill him," Thorn said with a shrug.

"Mistress," said the tall male, tearing his heated glare from Hiei and turning toward Rose. "You can't let her do this."

"You'd better calm down, BlackFire, or you'll be sprouting your tail early today," Thorn said. The man snapped his attention to her and growled with narrowed eyes.

"Silence," he grumbled. Thorn said nothing. He turned to glare at Rose, who raised her brows in an expression that clearly stated the course of wordflow that would spill from her lips had done so many times before.

"I have no control over her, BlackFire, she is her own person whether or not you or I like it. I can only encourage," Rose said. She sighed and turned away from the young woman on the bench and Hiei. "Let's get back to the manner at hand. When the next step in Thorn's training should commence."

Hiei looked down at Thorn, who noticed the gaze and opened her eyes. "BlackFire prefers to come in his human form. It really doesn't suit him, but he insists upon looking presentable. He'll be in his true form soon enough. He cannot hold this image when he is angry," Thorn explained.

"Where is this place?" he asked.

"Just space. We are images in our minds here. We cannot touch but we can hear and speak." She lifted a hand and lowered it to his arm. But there was no feel. Instead, the image fluttered and died until she retreated her hand, then the image returned. "I guess you could call us ghosts."

"Thorn, quiet. Keep to listening for others," Rose said, turning her attentions back to BlackFire. Thorn nodded.

"Don't you have a say in this matter?" Hiei asked in a quiet voice.

"No," Thorn said simply, and fell silent. 

"I don't like this. You should kill him right now," BlackFire growled. Rose shook her head.

"No. He shouldn't die. I wont let you kill him," Rose said. Hiei watched in silence beside the bench. He watched the two storm clouds build.

"Mistress, he is a threat! We should dispose of him now while we still have the chance. Who knows when he could try to turn us into Koenma?"

"BlackFire, you know as well as I that Thorn is powerful enough to escape any capture set upon her. Not to mention she is fully healed now, her powers have returned to their normal levels. Besides, I don't think that Hiei would take her unless he was forced to. And frankly, I don't think that anyone forces Hiei to do anything."

"But Thorn's power is not at its maximum, Mistress! Unless we destroy what gives her those emotions, she will never uncover her full potential!" BlackFire's rage was building.

"Don't raise your voice to me, BlackFire! Those emotions are what give humans the edge!"

"Forgive me, Mistress, but you are wrong! I have lived for over six thousand years! Those emotions are what weaken one's heart and hands! Humans say that these give them the edge they need, but in all fact and respect, they only serve as a weakness, as well as a hope that they will give a human their strength in a moment of intense need of it. Rage is the only true emotion that will prove to make you stronger!" BlackFire argued. Rose was beginning to seethe under her cool mask.

"Are you saying, because I believe these things, I too am weak?" she hissed. BlackFire took a step back, and his expression fell into immediate submission.

"No! No, Mistress! I am only saying that humans teach their young such foolery as to give them false hopes and make them believe that they have more strength then they truly posses!" BlackFire said hastily, clearly trying to make up for the brash statement.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Hiei will not be killed."

"Mistress!" BlackFire roared. "If we do not kill him he is bound to hunt us. I do not like to be hunted! And-"

  
"Silence!" Rose snarled. "I did not ask if you liked to be hunted. It doesn't matter! He will not hunt us, at least, not without our knowing and you know this! He cannot kill Thorn, he cannot kill you, and as long as I stay here, he cannot kill me. We have nothing to fear from even someone as powerful as him." Hiei narrowed his eyes. "True, he could injure us greatly with any number of his attacks, and not just because of his speed. He is very powerful. But he cannot kill us. Everyone here knows that, including him. There is no point to kill him."

"But he is a distraction! We should have left days ago! As soon as we had woken! But you insisted upon staying! Your emotions are clouding your judgment!" BlackFire growled, beginning to pace. His tail, which had not been there before, snapped back and forth behind him in an irked gesture.

"No, your greed is clouding yours!" she hissed. "We will not kill him! This meeting is over. The decision has been made. Until next week, we will go on this choice. He stays." With a suddenly calm and business-like demeanor, Rose's image disappeared. Thorn opened her eyes, for she had closed then when the argument had truly begun, sighing. BlackFire turned to them, his eyes burning hot in the air.

"You!" he raged, his tail slashing with renewed vigor as he looked at Hiei. "It was because of you that this is happening! Thorn's abilities will remain in the minor stages until you die! You are doing more harm than good here, you are doing nothing but getting in the way!"

"Go, BlackFire. The meeting is over. Until next week, hold your arguments," Thorn said, standing. With an infuriated hiss, his imaged disappeared as well.

"As you wish, Mistress," he said before vanishing.

"Let's go, Hiei."

/In the Cave/

With an exhausted sigh, Thorn removed her hand from Hiei's forehead and they opened their eyes. She handed him his bandana, which he replaced over his Jagan Eye.

"You were lucky, they were very calm this week. Rose was being polite," Thorn said, turning back to the fire. "They will be silent until dawn to think over what happened." She removed a silent BlackFire from her back and placed him in the dirt by the wall of the cave, the tip of the sword imbedded in the dirt about two inches, making it stand upright. She recovered her blanket and draped it around her shoulders against the cave's chill. She looked very small like that, with the large blanket laying around her like a pool of dark blue water, swallowing her as she stared into the flames. 

Hiei shook his head and sat down, throwing another stick on the fire.

"So you're free, like you were in Los Vegas?" Hiei asked, looking at the fire himself. She nodded. 

"Until dawn, then BlackFire will wake," she said. The air was filled with the crackling of wood and fire and silence.

"I just wanted to show you that Rose will fight until the end to protect you," Thorn said after a while. Hiei glanced at her.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked. "You are your own person, so why do you follow their orders?"

"Its an obligation. They created me, well, their souls did. Its complicated."

"I have time," he said blankly. She sighed.

"Rose gave up half of her soul to create me, while BlackFire gave a quarter. Their souls merged into one to create a new soul. Me. So I guess you could say that I am their child and until I 'move out' of this body, which will probably never happen since I can make this body immortal, I am obligated to listen to them. More to Rose than BlackFire, but still, they could, at any time, take back their part of the soul and kill me. Until my training is complete, BlackFire could take back his part of the soul at any time. Rose said she would never take back her part of the soul. She said she gave it to me, and she never steals. Even if I were to offer it back, she would never take it," Thorn explained.

"So by not... killing... me, you risk dying," Hiei said. She hesitated before nodding.

"But Rose is very persuasive. She has the uncanny ability to make people see things her way. If he even thought about it, she could convince BlackFire otherwise. I'm not worried." She shivered.

"Hn." Hiei gave her a skeptic look. She felt it.

"After the meetings there's always a lot of negative energy. It makes me cold," she explained at the gaze.

"Hm." Hiei thought. Now would be the perfect time to take her to Koenma. She didn't have BlackFire and she seemed weaker from the cold she felt. He could get Kuwabara to come back and get the sword afterward. But he didn't move. He felt he couldn't. He felt he was betraying her. He didn't deny it this time. Its what he felt.

There was a soft weight on his left shoulder. He looked down. Thorn was leaning against him. He thought that she had fallen asleep until she spoke.

"I thank you for your kindness, Hiei." He was startled at her move. His eyes widened as he stuttered under his breath. But he didn't say anything, at least, nothing that could be conceived as words. He looked away, toward the cave's entrance, trying not to think. Evening was approaching quickly. It surprised him. The entire day was gone.

"You are very warm," Thorn said suddenly, quietly, just audible over the fire. "Will you keep me warm right now, Hiei?" He didn't say anything, and was startled by the request, but suddenly, he relaxed. He felt his breath deepen and his tense shoulders loosen as he hesitantly put his arms around her shoulders as she placed the blanket around his. She moved closer and sighed in content as Hiei hesitantly rested his head on hers.

They stayed like that for a long time, pulling the blanket closer to themselves as the night settled over Japan, bringing with it the chill of Autumn. They built up the fire into a large, greedy flame that licked the air in its hunger. 

It had been nearly two hours when Thorn looked up at him. Hiei lowered his eyes to look into hers. There was something different in her eyes. They were still bright green, but their edges were softer and they lacked both their usual humor and sullenness. She sat up straighter and placed a hand on his chest, her face moving closer to his. She closed her eyes and brushed her lips against his. 

Hiei took a quick breath, but was not as surprised as he would have expected he would be at her boldness. Electricity burned his senses as they touched. But it was short-lived, although it was a sighingly sweet burn. He closed his own eyes and reached forward for another. The second was longer, yet still little more than just a feather-light touch. He lifted his right hand to cup her chin as they moved closer. Thorn's hand went to the back of his neck, her gentle fingers in his hair as they faced each other.

She pulled away for a moment and they opened their eyes slowly. She lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I-" Hiei didn't let her finish as he brought her chin up and occupied her lips with a long, passionate kiss. He could feel her sigh inwardly as she gave in to his prompting. Her hand trailed slowly down his chest, making him shiver with pleasure. His own hand had moved into her long, thick locks, which were as silky as the softest of threads. He leaned toward her, closing the space between them. His left hand, which had been draped around her shoulders, moved down her back, tracing down her spine and making her shudder. He leaned even closer, slowly lowering her onto her back. She lay back on the large blanket, her hands fingering his tough muscles as they engaged in another, long kiss. Hiei followed her to the ground, laying beside her as he traced the curves of her body down to the top of her skirt with his right hand. She took away her left hand and took hold of his trailing hand, placing it just below the skirt's top, enclosing his fingers around her pelvic bone before removing her own hand and placing it on his shoulder. He took his thumb and began small and gentle circles on the sensitive flesh that lay to the inside of the bone, making her catch her breath at the pleasure invoked. She removed her hand from his shoulder, tracing his torso down to his belt. With her free hand she began to undo its clamps.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Notes: ^_^ there you go! Sorry, I don't do lemons [not that there allowed on FF anymore anyway. _.], but limes are okay!

Yusuke: and that's why you're blushing.

THWACK!

Yusuke: @_@ gaa…

J: -eyebrow twitch- jack Arsh

Kurama&Kuwabara: -snicker- 

J: anyway, I'm really sorry for the late update and everything, its just been a hectic week with my friends and everything. ^_^ but I'm back and ready for action! The last chapter will be late, probably, as well. But I'll try my best at getting it out for ya'll. And speakin' of ya'll, reviews are the best thing in the world! ^_^  
  
**_Reviews: _**

**miyako14**: ^_^ here's yer update. Thankies! 

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SSSRoaB: yay! A new reviewer! ^_^ wondrous! I'm glad you like it! And I hope I answered all of yer questions in this chapter. It was the informative/fluff chapter after all. Just because you can't have just fluff or just information, cuz then its unsatisfactory to the reader as a chapter! ^_^ lol, sorry about killing you with suspense. ^_^ hope this makes ya happy! Thank ye!   


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Midnightdream51: lol, ya like the power puff analogy? ^_^ me too. Lol! Glad you liked my explanation, although a lot of it was discussed this chapter. Oh well. Lol. Well, you can't say the body's having issues holding the souls, because BB's is imprisoned in the sword, so its just hers and R's. but its different with Youko-Shuichi, because it is said that Youko actually went into the body before it had a soul, its just that the human mind is different or something. -shrug- that's what it says in the manga. Lol! And I love yer chart about reviewing/reading chapters. Especially the 5+ part! Lol. ^_^ heeh. The mental convos were originally very confusing, so they've been altered _a lot_ for better understanding. And I bet you take back yer Hiei and his OOCness now. ^_^ lmao! Hiei's been having some err… fun? At the agency building, eh? Lol. And the ghost thing is an anology. Thorn was the 'ghost' because… err… oh yeah! [brain freeze] because she haunted Hiei, but he didn't know it was her, like a ghost. With a physical body [thought in his head] but no face [unidentifiable] and an unknown purpose [he didn't know why it was there]. Thank ye so much! ^_^

  
**_Teaser:_**

  
**"But this…," she touched his face again, letting her hand trail down his cheek. He could feel the hesitation of her fingers as they left the soft curve of his cheek and suddenly yearned for them to return, for their touch to ensure that she would never let go of him. "This… wont happen again. And it is unfortunate." Hiei nodded slightly in agreement, his eyes glinting somberly. "This is Good-bye, Hiei," she said softly, her hand falling to her side and her eyes, normally so bright with her hidden pain, darker and regretful. Hiei nodded again.**

"It is," he said in a mere whisper, his voice unwilling to raise in volume should it fail him in the process. He pulled his hand up, brushing one unruly lock of hair from the left side of her face with his right hand, placing it behind her ear. It fell back in place a moment later with a seeming haughtily resistance. She gave her trade-mark sad smile, which was mirrored in her eyes with such exactness he could almost feel the pain as his Jagan picked up on her fierce emotions unconsciously…

+++++++++

J: enough of a teaser for you? So what's going to happen? Why is Thorn leaving? Where is she going? Has Koenma finally caught up with her? -grin- you'll just hafta find out next chapter! ^_^

Kurama: I guess its not very hard to see why Hiei is having psychological problems with all these situations you're putting him into J-san.

J: -twitch- I'm sorry, Fox boy, but I think I miss heard you. You did say that I was a nice author who lets everyone stay in my house and eat all my food instead of being cruel and imprisoning ya'll in cages, correct?

Kurama: -glances at the unconscious Yusuke in cage- -gulp- ahh, of course, J-san! Of course.

J: that's what I thought. ^_^. Well, sorry this has been so long in coming. Hope ya'll enjoy it! Now, I'm off to beat Yusuke up s'more for eating all of my girl scout cookies. ^_^ tata!

Kuwabara: thankfully she owns only Rose, Thorn, and the Black Blaze….

Reviews are rewarded with… stuff! ^_^


	31. GoodByes

Warnings: Good-byes, confusion… and that's about it. Hiei gets a little depressed. Aww!

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Thirty-One: Good-Byes

Dawn shone in the cave, creeping over the entrance's floor warmly. Hiei watched it come from against the stone wall of the cave out of the corner of his eyes, its fingers slowly easing their way toward him. He was fully dressed, even having replaced his cloak about his shoulders. But it wasn't the dawn he was watching. It was the young woman before him, wrapped warmly in the dark blue blanket. Her beautiful hair lay strewn about her, washing over her bare shoulders. Her breathing was steady, regular, a rhythm he had listened to for countless hours with his arms wrapped around her.

They had fallen asleep about an hour after shedding their clothes. That time had been filled with gentle fingertips and warm flesh. They hadn't needed to do more than run their hands over each other in the darkness. They already knew what the other was feeling. They hadn't needed to exaggerate the expression with anything more than their hands and a silent language that only they understood. The night had been cold, but together they were as warm as they desired.

BlackFire had woken Hiei in the hour before dawn. Its fierce and angry buzz made his eyes open to the sword, imbedded into the coarse dirt above his head. It glowed with such a fierce light, it drowned out the fire's dying gleem easily.

The light he emitted now was not nearly as bright, and the last of the flames from the fire were able to skip and dance over her face. Suddenly, there was a low vibration in the air, one that made the last flame from the fire flicker unnaturally. Hiei looked around, his hand fleeting to the katana at his shoulder. Thorn mumbled in her sleep. Another vibration stole through the cavern.

"Okay, okay! I'm up!" she growled, wrapping the blanket tightly around her shoulders against the cold as she sat up, growling under her breath. "Persistent aren't you?" she asked, opening her eyes slowly, blinking out the light. Hiei relaxed as BlackFire gave an answering hum. "Hn, well you could have just done your stupid light trick."

"He already did. It woke me," Hiei said. She smiled at him before surprising a yawn.

"Well, it seems I overslept then. Strange, his light show always woke me before," she said.

"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten in a few days," Hiei said as he watched her glare at the sword curiously.

"No. I can live without eating for more than a week, two or even three if I'm forced to," she said as she stood. Hiei looked away as she dressed quickly. She came over and sat beside him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I have to go now," Hiei said finally. He could feel her nodded, as well as sigh in disappointment.

"When you leave, I will too," she said.

"Hm. I understand," Hiei said, putting an arm around her.

"I'm sure we'll meet again. Actually, I can guarantee it," she said quietly, snuggling into the curve of his shoulder.

"I don't want to think about that," Hiei said.

"I don't either, but its reality. It will happen." Hiei nodded. She looked at him, her hand moving to caress his face as she sighed. She moved away slowly and stood as Hiei watched before standing himself. The stood looking at each other for a moment. Thorn's eyes were soft, their edges darkened with some unknown emotion. The last flame from the fire drowned in the ashes, making both the scarlet eyes of the youkai and the jade ones of the girl loose their bright sheen.

"But this…," she touched his face again, letting her hand trail down his cheek. He could feel the hesitation of her fingers as they left the soft curve of his cheek and suddenly yearned for them to return, for their touch to ensure that she would never let go of him. "This… wont happen again. And it is unfortunate." Hiei nodded slightly in agreement, his eyes glinting somberly. "This is Good-bye, Hiei," she said softly, her hand falling to her side and her eyes, normally so bright with her hidden pain, darker and regretful. Hiei nodded again.

"It is," he said in a mere whisper, his voice unwilling to raise in volume should it fail him in the process. He pulled his hand up, brushing one unruly lock of hair from the left side of her face with his right hand, placing it behind her ear. It fell back in place a moment later with a seeming haughtily resistance. She gave her trade-mark sad smile, which was mirrored in her eyes with such exactness he could almost feel the pain as his Jagan picked up on her fierce emotions unconsciously.

"Its impossible. I can't change once this all ends, I'll be a different person, and I don't want you to change for me." She began to hum a sad tune. "As the seasons change, remember how, I used to be," she sang in a soft voice that was hardly more than a whisper. Her smile, if possible, seemed to deepen in sadness even more. She looked away and turned from him. Hiei stood, unsure of what to do, watching her as she turned away, gathering up BlackFire from behind her with gentle hands. He clenched his fangs and turned away as well, forcing his eyes into stoic coldness and his expression into its usual subdued position, toward the entrance of the cave. He exited silently, and once in the light, flipping through the trees upon swift feet.

'Good-bye, Thorn,' he whispered quietly in her mind, closing his eyes in his own pain.

'Good-bye, Hiei,' was his quiet answer. He fled into the city as fast as he could, using all his strength to keep from looking back toward the cave.

Kurama looked up from the hand of cards that he was holding.

"Hey, Kurama! You have the old maid, don't you?" Botan asked cheerfully.

"How can Kurama have the old maid if I have it?" Kuwabara asked, confused. Yusuke threw his cards in the air.

"Kuwabara! You're not supposed to tell us you have the old maid!" Yusuke yelled.

"Oh," the carrot-top said stupidly, scratching the top of his head and staring blankly into the faces of his cards. Yusuke's eyebrow twitched.

"Kuwabara!" he began, drawing the name out threateningly.

"Hey! Don't get mad at me, Urimeshi! I've never played old maid before!" the tall boy yelled defensively.

"Oh, cut it out you two!" Botan said, gathering up the cards to shuffle and redeal them. Kurama chuckled as he lay his cards down on the table.

"You two are truly amusing," he said.

"Yeah? Well what were you thinking about?" Yusuke asked.

"So you noticed," Kurama said quietly, the smile easing from his features.

"Yeah. What was it?"

"Nothing. I just heard something," the kitsune said, shaking his head as he gathered up a new hand of cards.

"Hey! Shrimp! Where ya been?" Kuwabara asked, looking over Kurama's shoulder at the short youkai. Kurama jerked his head around to look at the shifty shadow behind him.

"Hey, Hiei, pull up a chair and we can all play a game of Go-Fish!" Yusuke said.

"Hiei," Kurama said, his tone hinting an unspoken question.

"How are you feeling, Yusuke?" Hiei asked, ignoring both the question, the offer, and the mention of his name.

"Oh." Yusuke grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "It was nothing, just a bump on the head."

"Well, you sure were out for a long time for a just a bump," Botan said pointingly. Hiei moved to sit alone in the corner of the room. Botan and Yusuke continued to get in a pointless argument while starting another game, this one Go-fish, since it was about the only card game Kuwabara knew. Kurama watched Hiei. There was something missing from his eyes. There was an old spark in them. Kurama sighed to himself.

'He's finally let her go. He knew that he must turn against her some time. He must have broken ties with her,' Kurama thought. He took a deep breath and his eyes widened. Hiei's scent. Kurama narrowed his eyes slightly in thought. He was with her last night.

"Earth to Kurama!" Yusuke shouted. Kurama looked at him, blinking out of his daze. "Yo, what is up with you?" Kurama gave a false smile.

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine, what was the question?" he asked. Yusuke sighed in exasperation.

"Its your turn, Fox-boy," he said.

"Oh, yes, right," Kurama said, turning to look at his hand. "What were we playing again?" he asked innocently. The players all did an anime fall face-first into the floor.

"Kurama!" they shouted at him as he held his hands up in defense, a new smile coming to his face with the formation of a bubbly drop of sweat beside his face.

Hiei looked out onto the street, watching the humans pass by the window. His mind was blank, his eyes taking in what he saw with acute analyzation and documenting it. He was back to his shifty ways. The way he had been before he had stolen the artifacts. And it suited him too, especially since the nights had grown colder.

'Hiei seems to be back to his usual self. That's funny, he hasn't acted like this since before Yusuke defeated him. Very strange. Well, it can only improve our chances the next time we are to fight Thorn,' Kurama thought, shrugging away the thoughts as he turned his attention back to the game.

Kurama walked into his room with a sigh, placing his school bag beside his desk. He unbuttoned the top button on his school uniform as he pulled out his chair from his desk and sat on it. It was sweltering outside, the temperature rising in the nineties with humidity at nearly one hundred. The nights may have grown cooler, but the days didn't even hint at the changing season. He turned on a fan, letting its wind blow over him in cool waves. He sighed and opened up his school bag, retrieving books and placing them on his desk. He opened his desk drawer to retrieve a pencil so that he might begin his work.

Something fluttered from the drawer and landed beside his chair, the wind from the fan removing it from its position. Kurama looked down curiously after evicting a pencil from its resting place. It was the feather from Thorn in her eagle form. Kurama knit his brows in confusion as he looked at it. But she had been golden when she had shed this feather, yet now it was white. As white as freshly powdered snow, and just as bright in the sun's unforgiving light. But then it changed to black, as dark as the wing of a raven. He picked it up, holding it above the drawer as he pondered over this baffling new predicament. Something else caught his eye. He looked back into the desk, down at the note the girl had given them almost three weeks before. The sword, it was glowing. Then, it changed, and the red rose began to glow, its light a determined dark green. It reminded Kurama of Rose's eye color. The feather too, changed its color, changing back into its snow-white hue. Kurama picked up the paper in his other hand, confused. The sword on its surface began to glow an icy blue once more, and the feather turned black again.

'What is this?' he thought. This pattern went on for a long while, the colors of the feather changing from black to white, and the card's energy fluctuating from the icy blue around the sword to the dark emerald around the rose. He didn't know what to make of it.

"What's the matter, Kurama?" came a deep voice from behind the kitsune. Kurama turned around to see Hiei standing on the sill of his open window, hands in his pockets, watching him with a fixated gaze.

"What do you make of this, Hiei?" Kurama asked, holding up the feather just as its color melted from white to black and then back again. Hiei narrowed his eyes and stepped down from the window, walking towards the desk. He took the feather from his friends hands, looking it over. His eyes drifted to the note in Kurama's hand just as the energy wave shifted from the rose to the sword. He looked at the paper, then at the feather. Suddenly, he felt a spread of energy coming from one of his pockets. Confused, he dipped into his pocket and pulled out the 'map' Thorn had given him. Kurama stepped back, confused.

"Hiei wh-"

"Don't ask. She gave it to me when I was hunting her," Hiei said, comparing his card with the note. "It seems that she can make these cards pick up her energy any time she commands them too."

"If that is true then why isn't it pulling us anywhere?" Kurama asked.

"Hm. Perhaps she never diminished the abilities of this card like she did with mine. It looks like that mine's power is replenished because of this one. But, it seems to me, that these two, the red rose and the sword, are fighting," Hiei said, thinking out loud. He grimed. "I know what's happening."

"What?"

"Rose and the Black Blaze are fighting for control over Thorn."

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked. The youkai glanced at the kitsune with untrusting eyes. But, he reasoned, if there was anyone he could trust with this secret, it would be the boy beside him. He sighed and explained vaguely how Thorn was 'controlled' by the biddings of Rose and BlackFire and how they fought for the ability to do so.

"How did you learn this?" Kurama asked the youkai after he had finished his explanation, leaving silence to yawn between them as the cards and feather shifted in power.

"She showed me," Hiei said simply, his voice suggesting not to press him on the subject. Kurama took the hint.

"So what does it mean?" the kitsune asked, changing the subject.

"It means that they are deciding the next step in her training. And if the Black Blaze wins this round and gets his way, then it means someone has to die," Hiei said blankly, trying to keep emotion from creeping into his voice.

"Who will it be?" Kurama wasn't answered for a long moment. But when he was, it shocked him.

"Me," Hiei said quietly, his eyes intent upon the card in his hand as its energy and color shifted once again. The black rose, he noticed, did not respond as the other two did, and his eyes couldn't help but fix themselves on it. "She'll be forced to kill me."

The feather continued to emit energy for two and a half days. By the time Saturday morning had rolled around, Kurama had taken to checking both the feather and the note, making sure that they had not change since he had discovered them. Hiei kept his own close. It seemed that the two, Rose and BlackFire, had not stopped their battle for some time. All he could think about was how Thorn must be feeling, having the two fighting like that so constantly, not to mention the arena where they battled was in her head. But the victory for one must be close. Surely no battle, even one of such importance, can last for more than a few days.

"Hiei," Kurama called late Saturday afternoon. The fire youkai looked toward the window behind which Kurama stood. Hiei stood, nodding.

"Yes, I know. Their fight is over. She calls us now," the demon said. "Let's go."

Authoress' Note: there ya go! goodie, eh? I know its short, but it was supposed to be one GAINT chapter, but I wanted to draw it out a bit more. . The last chapter is next, and then, as an epilogue, I'll put in part of the first chapter [or maybe the whole thing] of the sequel "The Wielder of BlackFire: Rose's Renaissance".

J: -looks around- -sigh- it seems so empty without Hiei here.

Kurama: it does. But he said he'd come back for the sequel, because you've told him that there's no romance in it to any real extent.

J: :3 of course!

Yusuke: -skeptical look- you didn't… _lie_… did you?

THWAP!

J: -twitch- of course not! -crosses fingers behind back-

Kurama&Kuwabara: -snicker-

Yusuke: gaaa …

J: anyway. Here ya'll go.

**__**

Teaser:

"Kuwabara, its time for us to go," Kurama said. The taller boy looked at him, confused.

"Where?"

"To fight Thorn again," the kitsune said, holding up the sheet of paper.

"Damn," he swore. "Okay, let's go."

"Hey, be careful little brother," Shizuru said as she watched them leave with an uncertain gaze. 

"Don't need to worry about that! She's not gunna steal my energy from me twice!" Kuwabara said over his shoulder. They all walked down the street grimly, without speaking. Kurama followed the gentle pull of the card.

"So how are we going to beat her?" Yusuke asked at last, his hands in his pockets as he looked up into the sky, watching the sun slowly set.

"As long as we don't let her release the Black Blaze like she did last time, we should have a chance," Kurama said.

"Yeah? Well how do we do that?" Yusuke asked.

J: :P REVIEWS ROCK MY SOCKS! I GOT 101! YAYZA!

**__**

Reviews:

SSSRoaB: glad you liked all the fluff. And as for the training question, you'll find out next chapter when it is going to be finished. For the Hiei question, I really don't know the answer because the sequel has yet to be completed. no more hints! I've already blabbed enough! Lol thanks for the compliments. TANKIES!

Midnightdream51: lol. I appreciate the time ya'll take to review. ' ahh, no, not a lotta action, huh? But some next chapter! A small, little bit! yes, the courtroom line was original and I found myself liking it as well. GROPING! -giggles hysterically- lol. Anyway.. About the whole 'fire demon thing' I do realize this was a mistake when I edited it, but as I think about it, this is all I can say: he gave up all of his ice demon and fire demon powers when he got the Jagan, so therefore he can't have the ability to keep himself warm by using his energy like a normal fire demon. So, basically, that's my answer to that. About the rekindling thing, frankly, I never thought of that, but if I had, I wouldn't have changed it because it would alter the mood of the scene a little. Yeah, its only been about a week or so. I kinda did drag it on, huh? not too much fluff! And I myself don't really know the progress of the others. My story really never got into that and I never exactly thought about it either. But I'll use that advice in the sequel when I can! Well, I can say this about Kurama, he plays one of the main roles in the sequal. No pairings in the sequel, though. Actually, his thoughts come into play just as much as Hiei's! lol. Glad you liked the mental conversation, as ya put it. Yes, he addresses both as 'mistress' as a sign of his respect. Mostly because, essentially, they are both part of the soul that unbound him, not just Rose, but Thorn as well. Sorry if I got the soul thing confused, but its half of R and a quarter of BF. The rest is hers alone. And you are correct in mentioning that it evens out with the power struggle, them having to fight for control, because, although they are using Rose's body, the strength that BF contributes evens that out. And yes to the whole thing about immortality. Lol! Yeah, well, the thanks only get more intense next chapter uu sorry. Lol. And yes, I've reread this half a dozen times and edited the 'thank's' many times. Actually, I'm not exactly satisfied with them STILL! Lol. and the fluff is done with for the rest [as far as I know] of this story including its sequel. Lol. hehe. Thanks again! Yer a laugh. To the PS: you don't decide. HERE'S YER COOKIE! -hands her a cookie- thanks for the 101st review.

Hiei's1girl: akk! i nearly missed you! lol. anyway. Thanks fer yer 102nd review! Here's an update fer ya!

J: THANKS FOR THE 102 REVIEWS EVERYONE! sorry that this was so late! My prom was on the 8th and so I didn't do anything but prepare and then sleep before and after! So sorry! The next chapter is the last, so be patient! Then, onto the sequel! Yay! Thank ya'll once again!

REVIEWS ARE LIKE COOKIES, GOOD TO EAT WHEN THE MIND IS SAD….OR EVEN WHEN ITS NOT!

J


	32. Cutting Ties

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Warnings: corny songs and blah blah. I don't like this chapter…

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The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Thirty-Two: Cutting Ties

Hiei and Kurama made their way down the street toward Yusuke's apartment. Kurama knocked on the door. Yusuke opened it.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" he asked, noticing the serious expressions on their faces. Kurama held up the paper with the glowing crest.

"Damn," Yusuke cursed. "Hey Ma, I'm going out. Don't know when I'll be back!" the boy called, walking out the door and closing it behind him.

"Okay, Yusuke! Be back before school on Monday! And don't get killed!" Atsuko called after him in a cheery voice.

"Yeah, tell that to the enemy. Oh, I can't die! My Mom said I couldn't!" Yusuke mumbled to himself. "Well let's go get Kuwabara."

"Do you think that is wise, Yusuke?" Hiei asked. "She nearly killed him last time." 'Not that it matters, she's out to kill me now,' he thought, but did not voice his thoughts.

"Hey, we all got in this mess together and we'll all finish it together!" Yusuke said in a half-shout, half-growl.

"Hn. Suit yourself," Hiei said with a shrug.

"We should see if Thorn sent Shizuru another dream to warn her if she was going to kill Kuwabara," Kurama, the ever the optimistic, said.

"Yeah," Yusuke said lamely.

They reached Kuwabara's house not long after leaving Yusuke's. Again, Kurama knocked on the door. Shizuru answered the door.

"Hn. I figured you guys were going to show up sometime today," she said. They all exchanged glances. "That girl, she came in my dream again. She told me to let Kazuma come today. She said she wouldn't kill him," she explained as she let them in.

"Kazuma! Your friends are here!" she called to her younger brother. He barreled down the stairs a moment later.

"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked.

"The sky you nit-wit," Yusuke mumbled. Kuwabara looked at the sullen faces before him.

"What's wrong with you guys? You look like you're ready to go to a funeral," Kuwabara said. Yusuke snorted.

"Yeah, our own," he whispered.

"What was that, Urimeshi?"

"Nothing."

"Kuwabara, its time for us to go," Kurama said. The taller boy looked at him, confused.

"Where?"

"To fight Thorn again," the kitsune said, holding up the sheet of paper.

"Damn," he swore. "Okay, let's go."

"Hey, be careful little brother," Shizuru said as she watched them leave with an uncertain gaze.

"Don't need to worry about that! She's not gunna steal my energy from me twice!" Kuwabara said over his shoulder. They all walked down the street grimly, without speaking. Kurama followed the gentle pull of the card.

"So how are we going to beat her?" Yusuke asked at last, his hands in his pockets as he looked up into the sky, watching the sun slowly set.

"As long as we don't let her release the Black Blaze like she did last time, we should have a chance," Kurama said.

"Yeah? Well how do we do that?" Yusuke asked.

"That pendant she wears around her neck. Once she took it off, he released him. As long as we don't let her remove it, she wont be able to summon him," Kurama said.

"Yeah, well how do we know that she can't release him without taking it off?" Yusuke asked seriously.

"We don't. But why else would she remove it?" Kurama thought a minute. "Do any of you know what it was made out of?" he asked suddenly, turning to look at all of them. Yusuke and Kuwabara shook their heads. Hiei looked like he was thinking. "Hiei?"

"Black Iron," he said at last, his voice certain.

"You're sure?" Hiei nodded. Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged glances.

"Ah, what does that have to do with anything?" Yusuke asked.

"Well, it is said that there is a special metal that can weaken a dragon's strength," Kurama explained.

"What is it?" Kuwabara asked.

"Some type of iron, I know that for sure. But... Black Iron. I've seen it before. It is a very rare and valuable metal in the demon world," Kurama said. He thought back to the day he and Kuronue had seen the Black Blaze. Wait! The treasure! It had been made of Black Iron! When the dragon had attacked the village, it hadn't just been to feed. It had been to destroy the treasure! The only thing that could weaken him! Kurama caught his breath.

"Something wrong, Kurama?" Hiei asked, glancing up at him.

"No. It was nothing. We can't let her remove that pendant, or we will have little chance of defeating her," he said quietly. They all nodded dourly as they continued on their way. The sun was melting past the horizon when they finally came upon the large wood. They paused, looking into the dark shadows of the trees, before finally stepping forward, ready to face the challenge that lay ahead.

The walked for a long time, the sun's scarlet rays staining the bark of the trees, making them bleed in its disappearance.

"Hey you guys," Kuwabara said some time after they had entered the forest.

"What?" Yusuke asked, turning to look back at his friend.

"We're... going in circles," the boy said uncertainly.

"What?! Circles? What the hell?" Yusuke yelled. "Thorn! Come out of your damn hiding place and fight us!" he said, turning and yelling into the woods. He was surprised when his demands were answered. Well, sort of.

"Well, well. Good job, Kuwabara. You realized I was leading you all in a circle," Thorn's voice said, echoing through the trees with a chuckle. She was clearly amused. "I applaud your abilities." Two distant claps bounced off the trees and into their ears.

"Where the hell are you, Thorn?" Yusuke growled, looking around him, into the trees and into every shadow that could hide her. She sighed.

"Tsk, tsk, Yusuke. You shouldn't be so demanding. I'll come down when I'm good and ready. Until then, enjoy the night. I'm going to watch the stars before I come down to you. I have a moment of freedom to myself and I'm not going to waste it arguing or exchanging punches with you," she said. Hiei looked up. The sky was growing dark very quickly, the stars just beginning to flicker in the sky. The moon, he noticed, was bright, shinning off the leaves of the trees, which had slowly began to drain of their bright color. It was no wonder why she wanted to enjoy the night. It would be glorious. And if she was free, then it was even better. "Let's just call it a little camping trip I've brought you on. I won't come down until dawn. Until then, watch the stars or sleep if you prefer. I'm not moving until the sun rises, so make yourself comfortable." They all exchanged glances. Hiei was the first to take a seat and they all looked at him in surprise. He leaned against a very large and sturdy tree with scars lining its trunk.

"Hiei, don't you think she'll pull a sneak attack in the night?" Yusuke asked.

"She wont. If she says she's going to do something, she's going to do it," Hiei replied, putting his katana against his shoulder. The other three boys looked at each other, shrugging, before sitting down themselves. The night was warm, the smallest of breezes blowing against their skin with warm kisses. Hiei's eyes strayed to the sky and to the brightening stars that dotted it. A tune settled around the forest. It was a very sad arrangement, sung by a morose, yet sweet voice. After the music ended, another began, this one a desperate song, one that challenged the elements around them. This continued for hours, the two tunes taking turns at filling the air, until the second song, the one that seemed much less depressing than the other, suddenly grasped words. They were sung softly, as if the one giving voice to the heart of the words was in a trance, murmuring into every creature with their bold words. The words became clearer as it started once again. (By Bryan Adams, Gavin Greenaway, R.J. Lange. Its called 'You Can't Take me'. I love this song, and Bryan Adams does a great job singing it. There's another song he sings off the same CD Its the Spirit: STallion of the Cimarron CD, I got it and the movie for my birthday. =D. Yes, I'm into horses, can't you tell? Geez! I own one for cryin' out loud! ahh, anyway..... I might use that one as well, because its very sad and for the way I planned out the ending Yes, this is the end...boo hoo it fits right in perfectly for the way Thorn makes her exit from the group)

'Got to fight another fight

I gotta run another night.

Get it out,

Check it out.

I'm on my way and it don't feel right.

I gotta get me back,

I can't be beat and that's a fact.

Its okay,

I'll find a way.

You ain't gonna take me down no way.

Don't judge a thing 'til you know what's inside it.

Don't push me,

I'll fight it.

Never gonna give in,

never gonna give it up no.

If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.

You can't come uninvited.

Never gonna give in never gonna give it up no.

You can't take me, I'm free.

Why did it all go wrong?

I wanna know what's going on.

What's this holding me?

I'm not where I'm supposed to be.

I gotta fight another fight,

I gotta fight with all my might.

I'm getting out, so check it out,

You're in my way,

So you'd better watch out.

Don't judge a think 'til you know what's inside it.

Don't push me,

I'll fight it.

Never gonna give in,

never gonna give it up no.

If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.

You can't come uninvited.

Never gonna give in never gonna give it up no.

You can't take me, I'm free.'

The song was bold and forceful, a meaning hidden within it that three of the four did not understand. Hiei knew though.

'Hn. It seems she is telling BlackFire she is not to be tamed,' Hiei thought as he listened to it. There was a pause before it began again, this time softer, as if the voice was slowly fading off to sleep, or suddenly realizing what the meaning of the song held. The night was wearing on, taking its toll on the boys who tried to resist its warm embrace and refuse its offer of sleep.

'How can Hiei be so damn calm?' Yusuke thought, fighting off yet another yawn. He looked over at Kurama, who seemed calm enough, although not battling against sleep. He turned to Kuwabara, who was tired enough, but still extremely alert to his surroundings. Yusuke leaned back against his tree, looking up through the branches, listening to the song on the wind. Man, it was like a lullaby and it was putting him to sleep fast. Well, as long as he could hear her, then it was okay, right? Who knows? Perhaps she can throw her voice too, after all, she's got all them damn psychic powers. Yusuke yawned again and put his hands behind his head, looking at the stars above him.

'Man, I wish she would stop singing, I can't concentrate on where she is with that stupid song going through my head,' Kuwabara thought. 'I feel like there's something different about her energy now, though. But I can't find out exactly what it is. Damn it! Why can't she just shut up?!'

'I wonder why she led us all the way out here, just to have us wait for dawn,' Kurama thought. Kurama, always trying to solve the mysteries of the universe! 'Perhaps she is trying to fool us into a false sense of security before attacking. Or maybe she is trying to catch us at our weakness because of our lack of sleep. No, that doesn't seem much like her style. Neither do. Hm, I wonder what she's planning.' His thoughts wandered, and he was trying desperately to ignore the song that the air brought to him. Finally, after about two hours of contemplating, he stopped and listened to the song without struggle. But the song she sang only made him think more. 'It feels as if she is trying to say something. But to whom, and why?'

The night grew into the earliest stages of morning slowly. The stars rotated around in the heavens in a sleepy crawl. The moon crept to its zenith, then made a groggy descend back toward the earth. The celestial objects kept the time, as they retreated behind far-away hills and mountains, they told the creatures of the forest that day was approaching and would be upon them soon.

Suddenly, a new tune began to float through the air, making all four of the boys jerk their eyes open and listen. The tune itself was the melancholy one that had sounded earlier that night, but now, words graced it. (This song is Sound the Bugle by Gavin Greenaway, Trevor Horn, sung by Bryan Adams. The reason I picked this song will be clear when they see Thorn.) Hiei's eyes opened wide when he recognized a line in the song.

'Sound the bugle now,

play it just for me.

As the seasons change,

remember how I used to be.

Now I can't go on,

I can't even start.

I've got nothing left,

just an empty heart.

I'm a soldier,

wounded so I must give up the fight.

There's nothing more for me,

lead me away, or leave my lying here.

Sound the bugle now,

tell them I don't care.

There's not a road I know,

that leads to anywhere.

Without a light I fear that I will,

stumble in the dark.

Lay right down and decide not to go on.'

The last of the lyrics lay unsaid, although she continued to hum the rest of the song.

'I'm ready now,' she said to them in a sad voice. They all stood up, Kurama watching Hiei as he rose and brushed the dirt from his cloak. He had noticed the fire demon's eyes grow wide at the mention of the second line of the song and wondered why.

"Which way, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, although they didn't need to ask. She had taken up the song again, although this time, it did not surround them as it had before, as if it had been a thick mist that blanketed them. It almost seemed as if the song was a rope, pulling them toward its singer. They followed it dogly, the voice growing louder with every step, yet still beautiful. They reached a small thinning of trees and stopped.

'Then from on high,

somewhere in the distance.

There's a voice that calls,

remember who you are.

If you lose yourself,

your courage soon will follow.

So be strong tonight,

remember who you are.

You're a soldier now,

fighting in a battle.

To be free once more.....

That's worth fighting for.'

Thorn jumped down from the tree with a refreshed sigh.

"Well, what a lovely night, don't you think?" she asked cheerfully with a small smile. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at each other, startled. Last time she had been very grim and serious. Now she seemed almost happy. Almost. She also seemed a little sad.

"Why did you bring us here, Thorn?" Kurama asked, ignoring her manner of greeting. Her smile saddened.

"Oh, you know, for kicks. I wanted to watch the night," she said with a shrug, looking up at the sky. Kurama gave her an incredulous look.

"Ahh, why are you so cheerful?" Yusuke asked, confusion lining his face. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Geez, a girl can't be cheerful on her last sunrise?" she asked with a huff. She paused, as if realizing that she had said something wrong.

"What?" Hiei asked, voicing the surprise the rest of the group felt.

"Well, I suppose _that_ was why I brought you here. I was going to tell you about that," she said quietly. She seemed to have recovered her lost seriousness.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked, his voice hard, trying to hide his confusion with it. She sighed and fell deeper into her seriousness, humor lighting only the rough edges of her voice.

"Yes, well, I didn't bring you here to fight. In case you haven't noticed, I have nothing that Koenma desires anymore." They all looked at her, even more confused then before. It was then that Kurama noticed that she no longer had the sword on her back.

"Where is the Black Blaze?" Kurama asked. The three other boys looked at him strangely before looking back at Thorn. The girl smiled and tapped her temple, much the same way she had done when Hiei had asked her where Rose was.

"He's right here." She chuckled. "You're all very confused, I see." Kurama nodded.

"We are indeed," he said. She sighed and leaned against a tree, crossing her arms.

"He's sleeping now, Kurama. And he will never wake unless I speak the words that break his slumber. And only I know those words. Soon, I'll be in a similar sleep," she said, looking up into the sky. The east was beginning to lighten slightly.

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked. She smiled at him, her eyes, he noticed, were not their normal brightness. They were softer, more natural to look into. They reminded him of the eyes of a normal human instead of what she was. Whatever that was.

"I mean what I say. He will never awaken unless I tell him to. Soon, I will put myself in a similar sleep. There is only one who will be able to wake me after Rose regains control of this body. And I doubt Rose will ever see them again." She sighed once again. "I came to tell you not to hunt me anymore. BlackFire will never live again unless I make him rise, and I don't want to do that. Rose does not posses the power to wake him, so there is no need to worry about that. Until Rose dies, or this body becomes too weak for her, I will be asleep in her mind and then, when she dies, only then will I wake to remake her body. Unless those specific words are spoken by the only person who knows them, you will never see me again. Unless you're at Rose's funeral, which I doubt. She wanted strength. That is why she kept BlackFire. But she did not know that I would come of this. She thought that it would be her where I stand. So now, I'm giving her what she wanted. Physical strength to match her mental strength. She will hold every power I posses, although she will have no knowledge of it. She wont remember any of this. She wont remember any of you," she said, looking at Hiei pointing. They all looked at her dumbly for a moment.

"If you're just going to put the Black Blaze in this sleep, then why not just give him to us and we will give him to Koenma?" Kurama asked softly. She smiled at him.

"Dearest Kurama. You have no idea of what could happen if he were to somehow fall into another's hands. If they are not strong enough to control him, then this world will parish, along with whatever other worlds he could get into. It doesn't matter if he were in Koenma's vault. Rose took him from there with ease, and another could as well. And it wouldn't matter how long he would have to wait. He is immortal and will never die unless his welder kills him. They are the only one who can. Eventually, he would be freed again, no matter how hard anyone tried to stop it, it would happen," she explained.

"Then why don't you just kill him?" Kuwabara asked. She smirked.

"You think I hold no respect for him? He deserves another chance at life. Maybe one day I'll come back. Maybe that day my powers will be needed. If that were to happen, if I were to need more strength than I have, then I would need him to hone my skills. That is why I let him live," she said.

"How do we know that if he will not kill, even in his sword shape, in his sleep?" Kurama asked.

"The sword is empty. I'd offer it to you, but I want to keep it in case I must awaken him someday. Now his soul is in this body, not in the sword. So it doesn't matter if the sword were to be destroyed or lost. It would be a futile effort to try to pretend that he still exists in it." Her eyes looked up toward the sky, which had grown lighter with each passing moment. Hiei looked into her eyes. They seemed to darken in color, although not in spirit. He remembered her eyes that night in Los Vegas. How they had saddened at the approaching dawn. They did now as well. But it was a deeper sadness, almost as a grieving. "The day is almost here. Rose will wake soon. But I want to be gone before she does. When she wakes she'll be without memories, her mind blank to what happened in the last several months. Those memories will be stored with me. She doesn't need their pain weighing on her mind," Thorn said, speaking as if more to herself than the boys around her. Her eyes returned to look at them. "In other words, its time for me to go." She straightened from her position against the tree, her arms falling to her sides. "I thank you all for the privilege. I've lived a very exciting and fulfilling life however short it was."

'You can't go,' Hiei spoke to her, speaking through her mind pleadingly. She smiled such a sad smile, one could tell it pained her to leave.

'I must. I'm a soldier. My wounds are far too deep to heal, so I am of no use. I've lost myself and it is something I cannot regain again any time soon,' she said back to him. 'But I want you to remember something for me, Hiei.'

'What is it?'

'Never forget: Every Rose has its Thorn.' Her eyes fell away from his and settled around the entire group.

"Tell Koenma that if the world is ever in danger, Rose will be a strong ally for you. She wont be aware of her powers, but that doesn't mean no one can show her how to use them. She's stubborn and she'll fight hard if she feels she should. But prehaps, when the world is on the verge of being destroyed, the one who holds the password will awaken me, and we will all meet again," Thorn said, turning away. "Good luck on future missions and don't be hesitant to call on Rose. She'd be happy to help I'm sure." They watched as the girl turned away. She waved over her shoulder before walking into a tree, which had suddenly grown into a bluish 'x', and dissapearing. They never saw her lip tremble.

Hiei rushed toward the portal, but it closed before he could reach it, sealing itself back into the solid tree.

"Damn," he cursed, hitting the tree with his clenched fist. He leaned his forehead against it and closed his eyes. If he consentrated he could barely pick up her scent. Kurama watched in silence, Yusuke and Kuwabara quiet in their unknowing state.

'I'll find you again,' Hiei vowed to himself. 'I will. And I'll never let you leave again.'

Authoress' Note: Well that's it for this fic! I know, it would seem like it would continue,

Yusuke: -- there she goes with that stupid super-hero stuff again.

WHAM!

Yusuke: Gaa...

J: -holds bloody frying pan, eyebrow twitching- You know, I really don't like you Yusuke. And look who's talking! Super-hero-I've-got-to-save-the-world-from-Toguro boy!

Yusuke: -holds bleeding head- What the hell was that for? It hurt!

J: For just being you.

Yusuke: Hey! That's no fair!

Kurama: -chuckle- Yusuke, you need to learn not to get on the authoress' bad side.

Yusuke: Like you? You bribed her with one of your stupid flowers!

WHAM

Kurama: -chuckle-

J: Don't make fun of my Kurama-kun! He's sweet and handsome and clever, unlike yourself! -throws bloody and mutalated fryingpan out the window-

Hiei: -dodges flying kitchen utensil- Yusuke pissing off the authoress again?

Kurama: -nod- Yes.

Hiei: -sits in random chair- This is always very amusing.

J: Hiei! Where have you been?

Hiei: I left when this story started getting mushy

J: -thinks- But that was a long time ago -realization- Hiei! You missed the end of my fic! How dare you!?

Yusuke: HAHA! Now its Hiei's turn. I'll get another frying pan. -gets up to run to the kitchen-

J: -throws random object from self at him, which is, unfortunately for Yusuke, a horseshoe-

Yusuke : -.-u ZzzzzZzzz

J: Baka. He wont be getting a very big part in my next fic, that's for sure.

Kuwabara: How come I didn't get a big part?

J: Because you're just there for comic relief. In all reality you're just a big oaf who follows Yusuke around trying to pretend that you're a good fighter.

Hiei: -chuckle- She hit the nail dead on the head.

Kuwabara: Hey! I'm a good fighter too!

J: Quiet you, before I make you really, really short.

Kuwabara: You can't do that!

J: Wanna bet? -holds hands over keyboard threateningly-

Kurama: I wouldn't antagonize her, Kuwabara.

J: tell you what. Hiei, because you missed my Fic, you have to do the disclaimer.

Hiei: -shrugs- Could be worse. At least this time she's not sicing fangirls on me. -stands up to get ready for speach-

J: -listens to screams from hall- Oh, yeah, and I forgot, you have two point five seconds before the Fangirls find out what room you're in and another six point three seconds before they break the door down.

Hiei- 00' NOO! You can't do this to me! -looks at door wearily-

J: Time is running out.

Hiei: Okay, okay! J does not own Yu Yu Hakusho. And for that I'm glad, or else I'd be constantly attacked by fangirls. At least Yoshihiro Togashi put is all in a protection plan so that this couldn't happen. -door crashes down, fangirls come running in, screaming for Hiei- Hiei flies out the window-

Fangirls: -run after him, falling the two stories to the ground, most dying on impact-

J: well, that solves THAT problem. Lol. Well, ya'll can read the Epilogue now, so I'm not going to bother with a teaser. Reviews are a different matter, however!

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Reviews:

Miyako14: OMGOSH! I SWEAR I didn't mean to fergit you two! OMGOSH! I'm soooo sorry! My lamo step-dad edited everyone's controls so we couldn't get ANY e-mail! How screwed over is that?! So I've missed all of my reviews. I've gotten them all from the story itself. But I sneaked onto his name and changed the settings , so its all good now. I'm REALLY sorry!

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lunar mercury: ekk! I'm SOOOOO SORRY! I can't believe I forgot you last chapter! And a NEW reviewer at that! I swear I'm sorry! Lol. Yeah, Mary-Sues, as long as they're in a nice plot and play a believable role in the story, they're okay. But there are so many fanfics out there that just pair and pair and are pointless. I don't like those. But I guess I'm a hypocrite, because Thorn's a Mary-Sue, although Rose and BlackFire aren't. lol, thank you! And again, goman!

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Tearsofpain: thank you so much for the reiview! And the cookie! And the sweet snow! Lol. Sorry about the not-so-happy ending, and if you don't like sad endings, well, don't read the endings to my stuff that include my Ocs, because they mostly end like this one did, sadly. But the sequel is coming, and not even I know if its going to be a sad ending or not! Enjoy! And thanks!

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BCP: lol! Don't worry! It'll be okay! And you think Hiei's sad NOW?! Hell, just wait until the sequel! Hope yer glad Hiei didn't hafta die. Personally, I like him too, and wouldn't want him to die. Err.. 0.0 well, Kurama, have fun saving BCP from… herself. Lovin' the cheese!

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SSSRoaB: 0.0. Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you! I swear I didn't! don't hurt me please! -holds up hands in surrender-. Lol. I love yer devotion! Reviewing at school?! Talk about it! Lol. Thanks!

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Midnightdream51: its okay. I waited fer ya, cuz I knew ya'd review eventually! Lol! Yeah, well, this chapter wasn't very fluffy, hai? Yay! I liked the feather thing too. Just a little twist to make things interesting and to clue the guys in on what was happening. I NEED more comic relief! I get too serious and totally forget about it! I love those authors who remember it, because I never can! And when the sequel comes, there will be TONS of action! Please be patient. Lol, no, I don't think yer ill! Thankies!

J: well! That's the end of this one, folks. But, as you can see, the Epilogue is up, and the first chapter to my new fic is comin' right along! I ask only fer yer patients, my dear, wonderful readers! Thank ya'll fer everything thus far!

Story Completed Junes 17, 2004

J


	33. Epilogue

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The Welder of BlackFire:

The Legend Lives

Chapter Thirty-Three: Epilogue

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Sour gray stone walls moaned and ached, their foundations shaking as they slowly began to crumble, falling to their knees in utter submission to the force that coursed through them. They fell in a sea of their own dust, their sturdy, ashen, walls shattering for the first time in countless centuries. Nearly three square miles was covered in the rubble's dust, cloaking the trees and other foliage in a grinding, pallid, silk.

A humanoid-seeming creature stood atop a tall hill, overlooking the city that they had just destroyed. They smiled, an evil glint burning in the depths of their blank, demonic eyes. To think that a minor fraction of their power could do such a thing as destroy such a firm-standing city. They turned away, their dark smile gripping stubbornly to their lips.

'And one could just imagine what this power could do to the human world. Finally, we will rule the human and Spirit world, just as we were meant to,' the creature thought, walking away slowly with an extremely smug expression on their face. 'Finally, I have the power I deserve to rule all the worlds, just as we were destined to do.'

Authoress' Note: -cringes- please don't hurt me! The first chapter will be up quite soon! Be patient please!

J

REVIEWS ROCK MY SOCKS!


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